WHY WE'VE REACHED OUR FIRST TEST

It's game on for Bartolo Colon, also known as Dr. Chunky. I have no idea why, I just feel like it works. He will be pitching for the Yankees on Saturday in the first Spring Training game against the Philadelphia Phillies. 1:05pm start on YES. How exciting is that?

Groan, go ahead, it's allowed. Colon pitched this winter on his long road back and yes, there were mixed reviews about his winter ball pitching, in fact, ESPNdeportes.com had this report from January 1oth. It doesn’t sound too promising. He was 0-2 with 4.86 ERA. He allowed 27 hits in 16 2/3 innings as one of Escogido's late roster additions. Read the story HERE.

Anyway, my point is, 1 week later, the Yankees signed Colon. Read that HERE. Maybe they saw grit, promise, effort, I'm not sure, but on paper, that record doesn’t look good.

Look, bottom line, Colon gets a shot, you have to give him credit. A lot of pitchers become injured and disappear. This is a former Cy Young award winner. He's getting a shot on the greatest franchise in the world. At one time he was one of the best pitchers in baseball. He can relive some of that this year. To me, it’s going to be a tough road, he’s older, chubbier and he’s not the same pitcher he once was, but that’s what makes this opportunity so grand for Bartolo Colon. He's got everything to gain and nothing to lose. Why? Because if he doesn't get a major league gig, he still has a job in the minors. He's working, so consider it rehabilitation if he can't get to the big show. For him, it's a win win, but for the Yankees, it's a win or a lose, especially if he can't deliver to major league levels again. The Yankees need a pitcher, not a belly itcher (nice, I've been trying to work that in for weeks). Also, some good news on the "chubby-gate", ESPN has a story out today saying Colon realizes he's a tub and would love to try and lose the weight, saying:

"I would like to go down 25 more pounds, but it is going to be hard to do during spring training."

My feeling is, if you want a job, you'll shed some weight Bartolo. We're pulling for you.

But back to my point about the Yankees and their win, lose dilemma. What if, Colon, Garcia, Prior, they just can't cut it. Those rotation holes look much bigger then don't they. So, let's hope that this years pitching competition forces pitchers to turn it up a notch and pitch to the best of their ability. Many decent pitchers is better than none and maybe this competition will push each other. I think in the end, it can be a huge advantage, stockpiling arms and swapping starters if needed. Yes, I'm a huge fan of certainty, but this is the hand us Yankee fans have been dealt, let's make the best of it.

Oh and by the way, heavy pitchers has been in baseball for decades. It's not like Colon CAN'T pitch overweight, many have done it and have been quite successful. As a matter of fact, I don't even care, my feeling however is if you put on more weight than your used to, your body may not work the way you want it to, that could be a health issue as well as you becoming injury prone. It's all I'm saying. Thanks for letting me clear that up. Good luck Colon.

First live baseball, Saturday, 1:05pm on YES. Yankees vs. Phillies. Come on Bartolo.

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