Colon ready to continue Travs’ winning ways
“I’ve been familiar with this league back in my playing days and the last two years. We’re excited about this team, [the] young talent.”
Arkansas Manager Christian Colon
For the third season in a row, the Arkansas Travelers will have a new man calling the shots in their dugout.
Christian Colon will manage the Travelers this season, succeeding Mike Freeman, who succeeded Collin Cowgill. But unlike his predecessors, Colon, 34, comes to the Travelers with coaching experience. He spent the past two seasons with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals as bench coach and assistant hitting coach.
“Even two years of experience, at least for me, slowed the game down a little bit,” Colon said. “It was really impressive what they were able to do, coming straight off the field and being here in this position. But for me, I learned from every good person in the game that helped me understand the logistics of how to support your staff, support the players. I think that’s my biggest thing, being there for them as people first and then get them to compete every night.”
Colon was a standout at Cal-State Fullerton and drafted No. 4 overall in the 2010 MLB Draft as the first collegiate player selected. He spent 12 seasons playing professional baseball, including parts of six years in the major leagues. He was a member of the World Series champion Kansas City Royals in 2015. He was born in Puerto Rico, but he and his family now reside in Cave Springs.
“I’m super excited to join the Seattle Mariners organization,” Colon said. “I’ve been familiar with this league back in my playing days and the last two years. We’re excited about this team, [the] young talent. We just can’t wait to get going.
“The two previous managers that were here, they laid down a great founda- tion. They did a tremendous job. And so we’re trying to follow the same things and add a little bit of my personality in there. Just continue to help these guys out. That’s what it’s all about.”
The Travelers ended last season as the Texas League runners-up and won 73 games to finish atop the Texas League North.
With top prospects like shortstop Cole Young, catcher Harry Ford, infield Tyler Locklear and pitcher Logan Evans, Colon said he is looking to maintain that level of play with a new cast of Travelers.
“Winning is important for their development,” Colon said about his goals for the season. “[I also want to] just be supportive, be there, help them get better in areas they got to get better. Because we have to develop these guys to get to Seattle. That’s our main goal.
“Overall, I look forward to winning. I think the last two years [have] been great at that, so we’re going to continue that.”