Episode 85: Christian Colon

1544 Miles to Omaha

A lot of great short stops have come through the doors at Cal State Fullerton, Christian Colon is arguably one of the best to have ever worn the Blue and Orange. A three-year player at Fullerton, Colon played for the Titans from 2008 through 2010 and was drafted fourth overall by the Kansas City Royals in 2010. (What's notable about that 2010 draft, Colon and teammate Gary Brown were both drafted in the first round. That is the only year multiple Titans were selected in the first round of the same draft.)
During his time at Fullerton, Colon batted .349 with 29 home runs and drove in 147 runs. His 17 home runs in 2010 led the team and he currently still ranks in the top 10 in numerous Titan Baseball categories. His single season records with the Titans has him ranked tied for eighth with Sam Favata for runs scored at 82 in 2009. His 21 sacrifice hits in 2008 ranks second for a single season and is a Titans freshman record. Talking about sacrificing his body, he is tied for sixth with Ivory Thomas and Reed Johnson being hit by a pitch in 2009.
For his three-year career in college, Colon's 766 at-bats ranks 8th but first among 3-year players. His 267 hits ranks sixth all time but again, ranks first among three-year players, ahead of other notable 3-year Titans like Mark Kotsay and Phil Nevin. Colon scored 214 runs in his Titan career, again, tops among three-year players. Christian was not only good at the plate, but he also had an excellent glove recoding 219 assists in 2010 which ranks third for a single season and 547 total assists in three years. Those 547 assists ranks fourth all time in Titan Baseball history and you guessed it, ranks No. 1 among three-year Titans. Only David Bacani, Justin Turner and Shane Turner, all four-year Titans, have more assists than Colon.
An All-American all three years on campus, Colon also played for the Team USA Collegiate National teams in 2008 and 2009. Drafted fourth overall by the Kansas City Royals, Colon would make his debut July 1, 2014 with the Kansas City Royals. Playing six years in Major League Baseball with the Royals, Maimi Marlins and Cincinnati Reds, Colon's seminal moment came in Game 5 of the 2015 World Series vs. the New York Mets.
Tied 2-2 in the Top of the 12th inning with Jarrod Dyson on third with one out, Colon gets a pinch-hit opportunity facing Addison Reed. On a 1-2 count, Colon hits a single into left field scoring Dyson to score the go-ahead run.
Recently Colon was named the manager of the Arkansas Travelers, the Double - A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.
Highlights include:
🎙️ Growing up and moving as a kid (8:43)
🎙️ Choosing Cal State Fullerton (15:00)
🎙️ Choosing college over the MLB draft out of high school (22:08)
🎙️ Frosh year at CSUF (25:57)
🎙️ Broken leg before Junior year (36:10)
🎙️ Draft day (44:42)
🎙️ 2010 Super Regionals vs. UCLA (49:53)
🎙️ Starting professional career (51:46)
🎙️ Getting called up to the Show (58:21)
🎙️ Hit & stolen base in 2014 AL Wild Card (60:29)
🎙️ Now manager of Arkansas Travelers (1:08:37)
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