For a pitcher with chronic knee, back, and weight problems, Bartolo Colon got a lot of guys out. If only he came to camp in shape; in 2000, he arrived at the Indians spring training complex carrying 248 pounds on his six-foot frame. The extra weight lead to occasional stints on the DL, and, as good as he was, reduced his effectiveness on the mound. Perhaps the hitters couldn’t see the 100 MPH fastball he was throwing, or they were confused by his unusually hard curve. Regardless of how he managed it, after going 15-8 and cracking the 200-strikeout mark for the first time in the 2000 season, the 26-year-old Colon gave the Indians hope that he would be the anchor of their rotation for years to come.
