Tuesday is Bartolo Colon’s 43rd birthday and, naturally, it is necessary to point out that he is currently the oldest player in the Major Leagues.
With that said, here are ten other things you might not have known about the New York Mets pitcher.
50
On August 22, 2012, Bartolo Colon was suspended for 50 games by after testing positive for synthetic testosterone. He was the second big leaguer to be suspended within a two-week time frame for testosterone.
42 years, 349 days
On May 7, 2016, at 42 years and 349 days old and in his 226 career at bat, Bartolo Colon hit his first Major League home run…becoming the oldest player ever to hit his first home run. The previous record holder? Randy Johnson, who at age 40, hit one in 2003.
38
On April 18, 2012, Bartolo Colon threw 38 consecutive strikes against the Anaheim Angels. It would be the most since Major League Baseball began keeping that statistic in 1988.
26
On June 9, 2015, Bartolo Colon set a new New York Mets franchise record when he achieved 26 decisions in 26 consecutive starts. He stretch that streak to 27 straight.
20
On June 26th, 1998, Bartolo Colon needed 20 pitches to strike out Ricky Gutierrez. The at bat began with two swinging strikes.
14
From 1998 to 2005, Bartolo Colon is the only Major Leaguer to win 14 or more games in each season.
7
When Bartolo Colon beat the Baltimore Orioles in 2015, he set a record by defeating the same club while wearing seven different uniforms. He is 13-8 with a 3.16 ERA lifetime against the birds.
6
On July 4, 2000, Bartolo Colon tied Bob Feller’s Cleveland Indians record by striking out the first six Toronto Blue Jays he faced. Later in the month, the Blue Jays would hit back-to-back home runs to start the game against the righty.
6
While with the Anaheim Angels in 2004, Bartolo Colon would won six games against the Texas Rangers. For his career, he has a 20-9 record with a 3.57 ERA against Texas.
1
And there can be only one. With the retirement of infielder Maicer Izturis in Spring Training 2016, Bartolo Colon became the last player to have taken the field for the Montreal Expos, having played for them in 2002.