Before Thursday’s 8-2 loss to the Royals, the Rangers’ clubhouse celebrated Big Sexy Bartolo Colon’s big day with a cake. That included smashing his face into it as he took a bite.

“There’s a certain grace about him that you just don’t expect and humility that’s just off the charts,” Banister said. “I walk into the dugout after I’ve taken him out of the game, and every time, he thanks me.”

Colon’s first win for Texas was a 3-1 victory at Houston on April 15th, in which he took a perfect game into the eighth inning before allowing a walk to Carlos Correa and a double to Josh Reddick. Rangers teammate Mike Minor, 15 years younger, notes that Colon has mastered one pitch: the sinker.

“He keeps throwing it over and over,” Minor said. “It’s not as easy as it sounds.”

Bartolo is a national treasure. He makes baseball great again! Happy Birthday Big Sexy!