Román Benedicto Colón (born August 13, 1979) is a Dominican former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

. He is tall and weighs . Colón bats and throws

right-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

, and

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

Professional career

Atlanta Braves

Colón was signed as an amateur free agent by the

in 1995 and began his professional career with the Braves Dominican Summer League team in . In , he ranked first in the

Gulf Coast League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the lo ...

in runs allowed (47) and

earned run In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an err ...

s (30), 5th in innings pitched (63), 4th in hits allowed (68), 2nd in games started (12). In , he ranked 3rd in the

Appalachian League The Appalachian League is a collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wood bats, its season runs from ...

in runs (59) and games started (13), 4th in earned runs (47) and first in hits allowed (92) and losses (7). In , he was named by the organization as Jamestown's Pitcher of the Year. He led the team in wins and

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

s and tied for the team lead in innings pitched. Colón missed all of with an injury. Healthy again in , he was promoted to Macon on May 3 from extended

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

. He had the 9th best walks per 9 innings ratio in Macon Braves history (1.83) and struck out a season high 7 batters three times. He struck out 6 in 6 innings on May 18 at

Asheville Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

for his first win of the season. He put together a solid season in , going 9–8 with a 3.59

ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...

. In the two seasons after his arm trouble, he walked just 64 batters in 291 innings with 185 strikeouts. Colón pitched a

complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...

on June 2 versus

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederick ...

(9 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 K). He also struck out a season-high eight batters on May 6 vs.

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...

( IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K). In , he was named

Greenville Braves The Greenville Braves were an American minor league baseball franchise, based in Greenville, South Carolina, that served as the Class AA farm team of the Atlanta Braves between 1984 and 2004. The Braves played in Greenville Municipal Stadium for ...

Pitcher of the Month in April (2-0, 2.86 ERA in 4 G). He finished 1st on the club and 3rd in the Double-A Southern League in wins, going 11–3. He earned a win in his first Double-A start in a 3–1 victory verse

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

on April 9 (5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K). He won his first 3 decisions before losing back to back starts on May 12 and May 17, giving up 8 runs on 16 hits over 12 innings. He went 6–3 (3.66) in 12 starts ( IP, 68 H, 22 BB, 38 K) and was 5–0 (2.78) with 2 saves in 27

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

appearances ( IP, 36 H, 11 BB, 20 K). However, he closed the season by winning his final 7 decisions (did not lose after May 29) and did not allow a run over his final 13 appearances of the season from August 1 through September 1. He earned his first professional save by firing a perfect inning in a 5–3 win at Jacksonville on July 23. Colón pitched at three different levels in and ended the year with Atlanta. At Triple-A

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

, he went 4–1 with a 3.65 ERA in 51 appearances and was Richmond Pitcher of the Month for July, going 2–0 with a 1.33 ERA (12G, IP, 3 ER, BB, 17 K). He walked just two batters after July 1 with Richmond (19 G, 31.1 IP) and did not allow a run over his last six appearances, from August 4–August 17 ( IP, 2 H, BB, 11 K). He was recalled by Atlanta on August 18 and made his major league debut August 21 at

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, pitching the eighth inning. He did not allow a hit and fanned two. He earned first ML win on August 30 versus

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

with a scoreless ninth inning. He suffered his first MLB loss on September 9 against

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. He had filled in admirably in an injury depleted Atlanta Braves rotation in 2005, holding the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

to one run in seven innings on July 5.

Detroit Tigers

The

acquired Colón from the Braves (along with

Zach Miner Zachary Charles Miner (born March 12, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies and in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) for ...

) for

Kyle Farnsworth Kyle Lynn Farnsworth (born April 14, 1976) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Chicago Cubs (1999–2004), Detroit Tigers (2005, 2008), Atlanta Braves (2005, 2010), New York Yankees (2006–2008), Kansas City Royals (2 ...

at the July 31, ,

trade deadline In professional sports within the United States and Canada, a trade is a sports league transaction between sports clubs involving the exchange of player rights from one team to another. Though player rights are the primary trading assets, draft p ...

. He spent most of his Tigers tenure in the

bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...

before making two spot starts in September, and was shelved after that with stiffness in his throwing elbow. In , he appeared in 20 games for the Tigers. Colón started the season on the DL. During a rehab assignment in Triple-A Toledo, he was involved in an altercation with fellow pitcher

Jordan Tata Jordan Arthur Tata (TAY-ta) (born September 20, 1981) is a retired major league pitcher. Tata made his major league debut on April 6, 2006 against the Texas Rangers in a 10-6 win. For college he attended Sam Houston State. He is 6 feet 6 i ...

. During the course of the fight, Colón attempted to punch Tata and instead landed a punch to the face of

Jason Karnuth Jason Andre Karnuth (born May 15, 1976) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher most recently with the Milwaukee Brewers organization. In 2007, Karnuth was the accidental victim of an attack by Roman Colón. During Colón's rehab assig ...

, the Mud Hens closer who was trying to intercede and break up the fight. The resulting injury caused Karnuth to be admitted to the hospital and undergo plastic surgery to his face. According to his wife, who filed an assault report against Colón on her husband's behalf, Karnuth required a titanium plate to be screwed into his head. Karnuth missed most of the 2007 season as a result of the injuries. The Tigers suspended Colón for 7 days after the incident. On January 15, 2008, Colón pleaded

no contest ' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neith ...

to an assault charge and was sentenced to 200 hours of

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Kansas City Royals

Colón was traded to the

on July 13, , for a

player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...

(minor league pitcher Daniel Christensen). He was outrighted to the minor leagues after the season and was invited to spring training in . He became a free agent after the 2008 season, but was re-signed by the Royals and invited to their 2009 spring training. He pitched in 48 Major League games with the Royals in 2009 and 2010, finishing 2–3 with a 4.83 ERA.

Kia Tigers

Colón signed with

Kia Tigers Kia Tigers ( ko, KIA 타이거즈) are a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982 and based in the southwestern city of Gwangju. Until 2001, they were known as the Haitai Tigers. The Tigers are a members of the KBO League and are ...

of South Korea on May 5, 2010. He made 21 starts for the Tigers, finishing 8–7 with a 3.91 ERA.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On January 12, 2011 he signed a minor league contract with the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

, which included an invitation to spring training. He was assigned to the AAA

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an el ...

. He appeared in 26 games with a 2–1 record and 5.02 ERA for the Isotopes.

Return to Kansas City

Colón signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals on January 25, 2012, and received an invitation to spring training. He was promoted to the Royals on June 14, 2012. On October 6, 2012 Colon elected free agency.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Colón signed a Minor League contract with the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

in February 2013.

Atlanta Braves

Colón was traded to the

in April 2013. He was released after 6 games.

Colorado Rockies

He signed with the Rockies in May.

Third Stint with Royals

On January 10, 2015 Colon signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals.

Personal life

He resides in the Dominican Republic.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Colon, Ramon 1979 births Albuquerque Isotopes players Atlanta Braves players Brother Elephants players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Danville Braves players Detroit Tigers players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in South Korea Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Taiwan Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Erie SeaWolves players Gigantes del Cibao players Greenville Braves players Gulf Coast Braves players Gwinnett Braves players Indianapolis Indians players Jamestown Jammers players Kansas City Royals players KBO League pitchers Kia Tigers players Living people Macon Braves players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Mississippi Braves players Myrtle Beach Pelicans players Northwest Arkansas Naturals players Omaha Royals players Omaha Storm Chasers players Richmond Braves players Toledo Mud Hens players