New York bids goodbye to Big Sexy, baseball's GIF hero

Big Sexy is leaving the Big Apple.

Bartolo Colon, the 43-year-old starting pitcher who spent the past three seasons in New York with the Mets, agreed to a deal with the Atlanta Braves on Friday.

Affectionately called Big Sexy by teammates and the media, Colon is known for providing both laughable moments and surprising athleticism considering his stout frame. He also gave the Mets' pitching depth in a season plagued by injuries.

Here's an ode to Big Sexy, baseball's GIF hero.

First, to show how much he meant to the Mets, here's how folks (including ace Noah Syndergaard) reacted to his departure. Colon broke into the big leagues in 1997 and earned four All-Star nods during his career, not to mention the Cy Young Award in 2005.

Then, of course, there are all of the helmet-falling, GIF-worthy Big Sexy moments.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

There's also Colon's extraordinarily agile defensive plays that made all of us scratch our heads. Colon weights 285 pounds, FYI.

Finally, there was this legendary night in May, when Colon became the oldest player in MLB history to hit his first career home run.

Cheers, Big Sexy. New York will miss you.