Bartolo getting ready to call it a career

Say it ain't so, Bartolo.

Prior to Saturday's Mets Old Timers Game at Citi Field, Bartolo Colon spoke to Spanish radio broadcaster Johnny Trujillo about his future plans. In what will surely be sad news to his fans around the world, Colon told Trujillo he's going to retire from professional baseball following one more winter league season.

"God willing, I would like to pitch a couple of games [with Águilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Winter League] so I can say goodbye to the game of baseball and to all those Dominican fans, because they deserve it,” Colon said.

Colon pitched in 21 MLB seasons from 1997-2018, for Cleveland, the Expos, White Sox, Angels, Red Sox, Yankees, A's, Mets, Braves, Twins and Rangers. He was a four-time All-Star and won the 2005 American League Cy Young Award with the Angels. In 17 career postseason appearances (10 starts) he posted a 3.49 ERA. He didn't allow an earned run in 3 1/3 innings out of the bullpen for the Mets in the 2015 World Series against the Royals.

Perhaps the most iconic Colon moment, however, was his only career home run at the plate, which quite improbably came off Padres right-hander James Shields at Petco Park on May 7, 2016. The feat added to an already large following for Colon, who had become a folk hero among baseball fans.

There were reports earlier this year that Colon was looking to make a Major League comeback, preferably with the Mets, but that never materialized, and it appears the 49-year-old right-hander will ride off into the sunset later this year.

Still, there was one quote from his interview with Trujillo that may give Colon fans a glimmer of hope that one day, he'll be back on the scene.

“I have never stopped practicing," Colon said. "I am still practicing in my town and pitching against the kids over there. I have always been ready for anything, for whatever comes my way. I just keep working."