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He’s old and he has more miles on him than a Boeing 747. And he has been at least as many places as that particular aircraft which, at this juncture, doesn’t outweigh him much.

All of that said, we tip our baseball cap to Bartolo Colón of the Dominican Republic, who on Tuesday night became the winningest pitcher born in Latin America. He is a testament to durability and a willingness to pack a suitcase.

Colón, 45, gutted (so to speak, as he is 5-foot-11 and 285 pounds) out his 245th win as the Texas Rangers defeated the Seattle Mariners 11-4 at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. Colón lasted seven innings and survived an early deficit that stemmed from him allowing two home runs.

The marquee victory pushed him past Dennis Martinez of Nicaragua in number of victories, and the 245th came on his sixth try. But six is hardly even trying for Colón, who earned his first victory since June 30.

This is his 21st season in the majors and he is with his 11th team. He pitched for the Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins in 2017 after three seasons with the New York Mets (he also pitched for the New York Yankees for a season). That stint with the Yankees came before his two years with the Oakland A’s, which led to his return to New York and the Mets. He has been around so long he even pitched for the Montreal Expos (one year) before spending a season with the Chicago White Sox.

He has had some outstanding seasons (21-8 for the Los Angeles Angels in 2005, 18-6 for the A’s in 2013) and 20-8 in 2002 when he went 10-4 for the Cleveland Indians and 10-4 with the Expos. His career record is 245-186 (.568).

He’s not what he once was, but he’s still what he is – a big-league pitcher who can handle a good team when he gets a little run support. He may not beat Father Time, but he’s taking him to extra innings.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman