You Really Want This Guy To Be The 5th Starter?

So who will be the 5th starter?  It's coming down between Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon.  Although Colon has better numbers this spring -- Going with Colon is CRAZY!

The most important reason why Colon should not be the 5^th starter is because he did not pitch at all last season.  To me, this means he will be unable to get through the entire 2011 season.  He has not even pitched 100 innings since 2005. In 2009 he only pitched 62 innings, 2008 he pitched 39 innings, 2007 he pitched 99 innings, 2006 he pitched 56 innings. Now with having a full year off, his stamina is shot.  Sometime in the month of May, his speed will decrease or he will get injured.  It’s no different than a rookie pitcher when he enters the majors; teams must keep an eye on the amount of innings before the rookie throws out his arm or shoulder.  Since Colon only pitched 62 innings over the last two years, he essentially falls into that same group.

Colon did pitch this winter in the Mexican Winter League and actually had some impressive numbers, but what this also tells me that he is ahead of the curve right now.  Most players did not play winter ball and when they face off against Colon, he has a bit of an edge.  Player’s bats are a bit slow and they don’t know Colon’s pitching style or even what pitches to expect since it’s only spring training.  Over the next month of the season, as players become more acclimated to the season and know the scouting reports they will have the upper hand, especially when Colon starts losing some of his stamina and speed.

Now if you have read this blog or seen any of my tweets since the winter, you know I dislike Colon.  Besides the fact that he is old, he makes absolutely no effort to stay in shape.  You would think that coming into camp as a professional athlete trying to make the New York Yankees, Colon would shed a few pounds or hit the gym like a maniac.  Instead, he just struts around with his triple-chin making no effort to drop some weight.  It seriously bothers me that he can call himself a professional athlete while weighing 275 pounds.  

If the Yankees cut him, I doubt any team will pick him up.  If the Yankees keep him, they should have a backup ready, because it won’t be long before he is injured or totally busts.