Román Colón
Encyclopedia
Román Benedicto Colón is a Major League Baseball
pitcher
. He is 6 feet, 6 inches (198 cm) tall and weighs 245 pounds (111 kg). Colón bats and throws right-handed.
in 1995 and began his professional career with the Braves Dominican Summer League team in . In , he ranked first in the Gulf Coast League
in runs
allowed (47) and earned run
s (30), 5th in innings pitched (63), 4th in hits
allowed (68), 2nd in games started
(12). In , he ranked 3rd in the Appalachian League
in runs (59) and games started (13), 4th in earned runs (47) and first in hits allowed (92) and losses (7).
In , he was named by the organization as Jamestown
's Pitcher of the Year. He led the team in wins
and strikeout
s and tied for the team lead in innings pitched. Colón missed all of with an injury. Healthy again in , he was promoted to Macon on May 3 from extended spring training
. He had the 9th best walks
per 9 innings ratio in Macon Braves history (1.83) and struck out a season high 7 batters three times. He struck out 6 in 6 innings on May 18 at Asheville
for his first win of the season.
He put together a solid season in , going 9-8 with a 3.59 ERA
. In the two seasons after his arm trouble, he walked just 64 batters in 291 innings with 185 strikeouts. Colón pitched a complete game
on June 2 versus Frederick
(9 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 K). He also struck out a season-high eight batters on May 6 vs. Winston-Salem
(7⅓ IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K).
In , he was named Greenville Braves
Pitcher of the Month in April (2-0, 2.86 ERA in 4 G). He finished 1st on the club and 3rd in the Double-A Southern League
in wins, going 11-3. He earned a win in his first Double-A start in a 3-1 victory verse Chattanooga
on April 9 (5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K). He won his first 3 decisions before losing back to back starts on May 12 and May 17, giving up 8 runs on 16 hits over 12 innings. He went 6-3 (3.66) in 12 starts (71⅓ IP, 68 H, 22 BB, 38 K) and was 5-0 (2.78) with 2 saves in 27 relief
appearances (35⅔ IP, 36 H, 11 BB, 20 K). However, he closed the season by winning his final 7 decisions (did not lose after May 29) and did not allow a run over his final 13 appearances of the season from August 1 through September 1. He earned his first professional save by firing a perfect inning in a 5-3 win at Jacksonville on July 23.
Colón pitched at three different levels in and ended the year with Atlanta. At Triple-A Richmond
, he went 4-1 with a 3.65 ERA in 51 appearances and was Richmond Pitcher of the Month for July, going 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA (12G, 20⅓ IP, 3 ER, BB, 17 K). He walked just two batters after July 1 with Richmond (19 G, 31.1 IP) and did not allow a run over his last six appearances, from August 4–August 17 (10⅔ IP, 2 H, BB, 11 K). He was recalled by Atlanta on August 18 and made his major league debut August 21 at Los Angeles
, pitching the eighth inning. He did not allow a hit and fanned two. He earned first ML win on August 30 versus San Francisco
with a scoreless ninth inning. He suffered his first MLB loss on September 9 against Philadelphia
. He had filled in admirably in an injury depleted Atlanta Braves rotation in 2005, holding the Chicago Cubs
to one run in seven innings on July 5.
acquired Colon from the Braves (along with Zach Miner
) for Kyle Farnsworth
at the July 31, , trade deadline. He spent most of his Tigers tenure in the bullpen
before making two spot starts in September, and was shelved after that with stiffness in his throwing elbow. In , he appeared in 20 games for the Tigers.
Colón started the season on the DL
. During a rehab assignment in Triple-A Toledo
, he was involved in an altercation with fellow pitcher Jordan Tata
. During the course of the fight, Colon attempted to punch Tata and instead landed a punch to the face of Jason Karnuth
, the Mud Hens closer
who was trying to intercede and break up the fight. The resulting injury caused Karnuth to be admitted to the hospital and undergo plastic surgery to his face. According to his wife, who filed an assault report against Colón on her husband's behalf, Karnuth required a titanium plate to be screwed into his head. Karnuth missed most of the 2007 season as a result of the injuries. The Tigers suspended Colón for 7 days after the incident. On January 15, 2008, Colon pleaded no contest
to an assault charge and was sentenced to 200 hours of community service.
on July 13, , for a player to be named later
(minor league pitcher Daniel Christensen). He was outrighted to the minor leagues after the season and was invited to spring training in . He became a free agent after the 2008 season, but was resigned by the Royals and invited to their 2009 spring training. He pitched in 48 Major League games with the Royals in 2009 and 2010, finishing 2-3 with a 4.83 ERA.
of South Korea on May 5, 2010. He made 21 starts for the Tigers, finishing 8-7 with a 3.91 ERA.
, which included an invitation to spring training. He was assigned to the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes
. He appeared in 26 games with a 2-1 record and 5.02 ERA for the Isotopes.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. He is 6 feet, 6 inches (198 cm) tall and weighs 245 pounds (111 kg). Colón bats and throws right-handed.
Atlanta Braves
Colón was signed as an amateur free agent by the Atlanta BravesAtlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in 1995 and began his professional career with the Braves Dominican Summer League team in . In , he ranked first in the Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
in runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
allowed (47) and earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
s (30), 5th in innings pitched (63), 4th in hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
allowed (68), 2nd in games started
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
(12). In , he ranked 3rd in the Appalachian League
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
in runs (59) and games started (13), 4th in earned runs (47) and first in hits allowed (92) and losses (7).
In , he was named by the organization as Jamestown
Jamestown Jammers
The Jamestown Jammers are a minor league baseball team in Jamestown, New York, United States. The team is the Short-Season A classification affiliate of the Miami Marlins and plays in the New York - Penn League...
's Pitcher of the Year. He led the team in wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
and strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s and tied for the team lead in innings pitched. Colón missed all of with an injury. Healthy again in , he was promoted to Macon on May 3 from extended spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
. He had the 9th best walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
per 9 innings ratio in Macon Braves history (1.83) and struck out a season high 7 batters three times. He struck out 6 in 6 innings on May 18 at Asheville
Asheville Tourists
The Asheville Tourists are a minor league baseball team based in Asheville, North Carolina, USA. They play in the Class A South Atlantic League and have been a farm team of the Colorado Rockies since 1994....
for his first win of the season.
He put together a solid season in , going 9-8 with a 3.59 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. In the two seasons after his arm trouble, he walked just 64 batters in 291 innings with 185 strikeouts. Colón pitched a complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
on June 2 versus Frederick
Frederick Keys
The Frederick Keys minor league baseball team is the "High-A" class A baseball affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The Keys are based in Frederick, Maryland. The franchise is named for Star Spangled Banner poet Francis Scott Key, a native of Frederick County. The team mascot is a coyote known as...
(9 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 K). He also struck out a season-high eight batters on May 6 vs. Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem Warthogs
The Winston-Salem Dash is a minor league baseball team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. They are a Class High-A team in the Carolina League and have been a farm team of the Chicago White Sox since 1997...
(7⅓ IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K).
In , he was named Greenville Braves
Greenville Braves
The Greenville Braves were an American minor league baseball franchise, based in Greenville, South Carolina, that served as the Class AA farm team of the Atlanta Braves between 1984 and 2004...
Pitcher of the Month in April (2-0, 2.86 ERA in 4 G). He finished 1st on the club and 3rd in the Double-A Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
in wins, going 11-3. He earned a win in his first Double-A start in a 3-1 victory verse Chattanooga
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
on April 9 (5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K). He won his first 3 decisions before losing back to back starts on May 12 and May 17, giving up 8 runs on 16 hits over 12 innings. He went 6-3 (3.66) in 12 starts (71⅓ IP, 68 H, 22 BB, 38 K) and was 5-0 (2.78) with 2 saves in 27 relief
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
appearances (35⅔ IP, 36 H, 11 BB, 20 K). However, he closed the season by winning his final 7 decisions (did not lose after May 29) and did not allow a run over his final 13 appearances of the season from August 1 through September 1. He earned his first professional save by firing a perfect inning in a 5-3 win at Jacksonville on July 23.
Colón pitched at three different levels in and ended the year with Atlanta. At Triple-A Richmond
Richmond Braves
The Richmond Braves were the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and played in the International League. Colloquially referred to as the R-Braves, they were based in Richmond, Virginia, where they played from 1966, when the Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta where their AAA team, the Crackers,...
, he went 4-1 with a 3.65 ERA in 51 appearances and was Richmond Pitcher of the Month for July, going 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA (12G, 20⅓ IP, 3 ER, BB, 17 K). He walked just two batters after July 1 with Richmond (19 G, 31.1 IP) and did not allow a run over his last six appearances, from August 4–August 17 (10⅔ IP, 2 H, BB, 11 K). He was recalled by Atlanta on August 18 and made his major league debut August 21 at Los Angeles
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, pitching the eighth inning. He did not allow a hit and fanned two. He earned first ML win on August 30 versus San Francisco
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
with a scoreless ninth inning. He suffered his first MLB loss on September 9 against Philadelphia
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He had filled in admirably in an injury depleted Atlanta Braves rotation in 2005, holding the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
to one run in seven innings on July 5.
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit TigersDetroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
acquired Colon from the Braves (along with Zach Miner
Zach Miner
Zachary Charles Miner is a Major League Baseball pitcher currently in the Kansas City Royals organization. He bats and throws right-handed.-Atlanta Braves:...
) for Kyle Farnsworth
Kyle Farnsworth
Kyle Lynn Farnsworth is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently the closer for the Tampa Bay Rays.-High school and college:...
at the July 31, , trade deadline. He spent most of his Tigers tenure in the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
before making two spot starts in September, and was shelved after that with stiffness in his throwing elbow. In , he appeared in 20 games for the Tigers.
Colón started the season on the DL
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
. During a rehab assignment in Triple-A Toledo
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
, he was involved in an altercation with fellow pitcher Jordan Tata
Jordan Tata
Jordan Arthur Tata is a retired major league starter/reliever. Tata made his major league debut, April 6, 2006 against the Texas Rangers in a 10-6 win. For college he attended Sam Houston State. He is 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds...
. During the course of the fight, Colon attempted to punch Tata and instead landed a punch to the face of Jason Karnuth
Jason Karnuth
Jason Andre Karnuth is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher most recently with the Milwaukee Brewers organization....
, the Mud Hens closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
who was trying to intercede and break up the fight. The resulting injury caused Karnuth to be admitted to the hospital and undergo plastic surgery to his face. According to his wife, who filed an assault report against Colón on her husband's behalf, Karnuth required a titanium plate to be screwed into his head. Karnuth missed most of the 2007 season as a result of the injuries. The Tigers suspended Colón for 7 days after the incident. On January 15, 2008, Colon pleaded no contest
Nolo contendere
is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of...
to an assault charge and was sentenced to 200 hours of community service.
Kansas City Royals
Colon was traded to the Kansas City RoyalsKansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
on July 13, , for a player to be named later
Player to be named later
The concept of the "player to be named later" is most often associated with Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball trades.-Description:...
(minor league pitcher Daniel Christensen). He was outrighted to the minor leagues after the season and was invited to spring training in . He became a free agent after the 2008 season, but was resigned by the Royals and invited to their 2009 spring training. He pitched in 48 Major League games with the Royals in 2009 and 2010, finishing 2-3 with a 4.83 ERA.
Kia Tigers
Colon signed with Kia TigersKia Tigers
Kia Tigers Professional Baseball Club is a Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982. The Tigers are a member team of the Korean Baseball Organization and the most successful team in Korean baseball having won the national championship, the Korean Series, ten times, with a perfect 10-0...
of South Korea on May 5, 2010. He made 21 starts for the Tigers, finishing 8-7 with a 3.91 ERA.
Los Angeles Dodgers
On January 12, 2011 he signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, which included an invitation to spring training. He was assigned to the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes
Albuquerque Isotopes
The Albuquerque Isotopes are a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers...
. He appeared in 26 games with a 2-1 record and 5.02 ERA for the Isotopes.