So we wondered what form of Bartolo Colon we would get last night in his return to the majors and his Red Sox debut. The reclamation project? The shadow of himself? The reinvented finesse guy? The guy who can still win on smarts and wisdom? The same old Colon?
"That Bartolo you saw seven years ago," said Colon through translator Ed Romero Jr. "Maybe a little bit different now, yet no less effective."
One thing that hasn't changed is that he's a big man.
Current photos indicate he's lost weight since spring training. The Sox put him on a nutrition program back then, concerned that girth would interfere with proper mechanics. They hoped he would stick to it. Then he suffered an oblique injury and required rest, usually not good for someone battling a weight issue. Hard to tell how much he's lost because the team is mum on that subject, but his mechanics seemed fine over the first few innings.
The fact we're talking about Colon possibly being Boston's fifth starter is interesting on a couple of levels. For one, you don't think of a former Cy Young winner, a two-time 20-game winner, and the author of a 147-95 record as a fifth starter. But that's what happens after an injury, after wear and tear on the shoulder or the elbow, and with age.
We're talking about a guy who in 2002 was traded along with J.D. Drew's brother, Tim, from the Indians to the Expos for Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips, and Lee Stevens.
We're talking about a guy who earned his first major league win at Fenway June 7, 1997, 9-5, over Aaron Sele. He pitched seven innings in that game, allowing eight hits and four runs while striking out five.
Colon said last night's start brought him back to that day, when he had a super Indians lineup behind him, including Manny Ramírez, who is someone he calls a "second brother."
The Red Sox aren't asking Colon to be a 20-game winner again, just a guy who can maybe use his savvy to win a big game. Maybe just to fill the void left by Curt Schilling, who may not be a major factor this season.
