Do you believe in miracles? YES!https://t.co/zEgp22OsD1
— MLB (@MLB) May 8, 2016
There are three things in baseball that are universally loved: Bartolo Colón, home runs, and that video of Jose Férnández being reunited with his grandmother. On Saturday night, two of those things occurred at the same time, as Bartolo By God Colón hit the first home run of his career.
It happened in the top of the second inning during the Mets’ game against the Padres. Colón got a 90 mile per hour fastball right down the middle and he straight up mauled it. Seriously, if Giancarlo Stanton hit this, we’d be raving about how it was another example of him mashing a baseball.
Instead, this ball was hit by Colón, and the Internet reacted with an enthusiasm that rarely (if ever) manifests itself. Partly because he carried the bat to first base with him and he was smiling from ear to ear.
(Slow motion) Bartolo Colon carries his bat to first base following a home run pic.twitter.com/loHqyDR5qT
— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) May 8, 2016
Of course, there was the general happiness that occurs whenever Colón does anything awesome, and it was beautiful.
https://twitter.com/keithlaw/status/729117308233211905
https://twitter.com/erikmal/status/729116491392503808
AHAHAHAHAHAH YES pic.twitter.com/IodCjLgtdE
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) May 8, 2016
https://twitter.com/BrianPickett/status/729116380553871361
THIS IS THE GREATEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE
— green man (@real_green_man) May 8, 2016
https://twitter.com/NamelessRanger/status/729116134100840450
https://twitter.com/celebrityhottub/status/729115499674652673
Also I can't wait to tell my future wife that our wedding was 'the second greatest moment of my life" #Bartolo
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) May 8, 2016
This was such a big occasion that the dudes at You Can’t Predict Baseball gave it the four exclamation point treatment.
Bartolo Colon home run!!!!
— YCPB (@cantpredictball) May 8, 2016
Many people pointed out that Colón wasn’t exactly sprinting around the bases, as the 42-year-old really took his time.
The slow rounding of the bases https://t.co/nzBcqsKXPY
— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) May 8, 2016
NOT SAYING HE SAVORED IT BUT WHEN BARTOLO BEGAN CIRCLING THE BAGS CALIFORNIA WAS STILL A STAND-ALONE REPUBLIC.
— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) May 8, 2016
https://twitter.com/_BenDiamond/status/729116439337152512
Watching Colon run the bases reminded me of those grainy black and white films of the Bambino.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) May 8, 2016
Some even decided to use Colón’s dinger as proof of a higher power.
https://twitter.com/jonahkeri/status/729116854732513280
SAN DIEGO — Bartolo Colon has homered, confirming at long last that yes, there is a God. — 30 —
— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) May 8, 2016
But the best reactions came from the Mets themselves. At first when Colón went yard, everyone ran and hid so he would come back to an empty dugout. But after the brief moment of solitude, Colón’s teammates surrounded him and celebrated.
Colón just hit a home run and the entire team left the dugout and went in the tunnel. Empty dugout. The silent treatment done right. 😂😂😂😂
— 🤖🦁angela🐯🐺🏒 (@angela_rose06) May 8, 2016
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 8, 2016
And of course, there was Bartolo, whose heart was racing because he hit his first dinger.
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 8, 2016
For the last three years, some of the best Mets moments have involved Colón swinging for the fences and missing wildly – his OPS with the team coming into this season was .190. But finally, he has gone yard, and I can say with 100 percent certainty that this is the best moment of the 2016 Major League Baseball season so far.
