Today, May 30, Bartolo Colon pitched a masterful 4-hit complete game shutout in a 5-0 victory against the Oakland Athletics. Colon has had an impressive season thus far, but it hasn’t been without some controversy.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Colon supposedly underwent a unique type of stem cell treatment to heal lingering shoulder injuries. The treatment involves extracting cells from the patient’s bone marrow and fat cells and injecting them into the area of concern. In this case, it was Colon’s injured shoulder.
Some have had then audacity to compare this to performance enhancing drug use. Major League Baseball is suspicious as well and they are supposedly in the process of investigating the procedure.
In 2005, Colon went 21-8 with a 3.48 ERA, winning the CY Young Award. During the playoffs of that season, Bartolo partially tore his rotator cuff. He subsequently spent most of the 2006 season on the Disabled List, starting only ten games and posting a 5.11 ERA. Since that injury, Colon’s career has been in a tailspin. Then stem cells came to the rescue.
Colon signed a minor league deal with the Yankees in January of 2011. Due to more shoulder issues, Bartolo missed all of the 2010 season. His signing didn’t turn many heads in Yankees Universe. At 37 years old, a career revival looked hopeless. There was a good chance he wouldn’t even make the squad. If he did, his duties would likely be limited to a mop-up role in the bullpen or an occasional spot start. But Colon turned some heads in spring training, posting a 2.25 ERA in four starts.
It’s now May 30 and Colon, fresh off of today’s complete game shutout, has cemented his place in the Yankees’ starting five. After eleven total appearances and eight starts, he’s 3-3 with an impressive 3.26 ERA.
Colon’s resurgence has been quite surprising. He’s faced some scrutiny after the world got wind of the stem cell procedure. But this “controversy” has been blown somewhat out of proportion. To make a comparison, Tommy John surgery involves replacing a ligament in the elbow with a tendon from another part of the body. If the stem cell procedure were to be ruled immoral and cheating, then why is Tommy John surgery acceptable? I’m no doctor, but the two seem quite similar.
Medical technologies are advancing at a rapid pace. If MLB has an issue with what Colon did, then where do we draw the line? Just like the banned substance list, MLB would have to come out with a banned medical procedure list. Barring players from legitimate medical treatments would be unreasonable and negligent.
Comparing stem cell surgery to HGH and steroids is irresponsible and just plain ludicrous. Bartolo Colon is no Barry Bonds.
Due to the Steroid Era, MLB officials and fans are understandably paranoid and on edge concerning issues like this one. But there’s nothing to see here. Colon did not cheat the game. He did not inject himself with a performance enhancing drug. He simply underwent a legitimate medical procedure to heal a part of his body. There’s nothing wrong with the stem cell treatment. It could potentially be enormously beneficial to baseball and many other sports. In fact, perhaps the ailing Phil Hughes should be next in line.
This year, Colon has given fans a glimpse of his dominant CY Young past. Hopefully his hot start carries well into the season because the Yankees and their questionable starting rotation will certainly need it.
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