Ten years ago, the impossible happened

Q: What date did Bartolo Colon hit his first career home run?

Bartolo Colon hit his first career home run on May 7, 2016.

Q: Which team did Bartolo Colon play for when he hit his first home run?

Bartolo Colon played for the New York Mets when he hit his first home run.

Q: How did Gary Cohen react to Bartolo Colon's home run?

Gary Cohen's call of the home run was emotional and enthusiastic, famously stating, 'The Impossible has happened.'

Q: Why is Bartolo Colon's home run considered iconic in baseball history?

Colon's home run is iconic due to its unexpected nature, his fan-favorite status, and the heartfelt commentary that captured the moment's significance.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 7: Bartolo Colon #40 of the New York Mets, right, is congratulated by Tim Teufel #11 after hitting a two-home run home run for the first of his career during the second inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park on May 7, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) | Getty Images I can still remember exactly where I was when Bartolo Colon hit his first career home run, ten years ago today, May 7, 2016. I was throwing away a poopy diaper. My son was three months old, and after feeding him, my wife handed him off to me for some dad time while she rested. I took him in my arms and walked to the basement, where I had the Mets game on the television. They were playing the Padres at Petco Park on a Saturday night. I was rocking him and generally enjoying some alone time with him. My daughter was already in bed, and so it was just Dad and Ben time. And then, as he was wont to do, he pooped. Being a dutiful father, I got out the mat, the wipes, the fresh diaper, and I got to work, while sneaking glances at the TV. I finished the job, got him dressed, and left him on the floor with a toy while I disposed of the diaper. I could hear the emotion in Gary Cohen’s voice as I was walking back from the garbage, but by the time I got to the TV, I had missed it. Thankfully, it was 2016 and not 1996, so I could rewind the broadcast and watch it in all of its glory. And then watch it again. And again. And text my brother and father to make sure that they saw it. And then watch it again. Why was this moment, both then and now, so iconic? Colon was obviously a fan favorite Met, but he wasn’t a long-tenured Met. This start was his seventh of the year, and he was in his third and final year as a Met. But few players before or since made such an immediate or positive impact on the fanbase, if not the club. Colon’s 2014 was essentially a league average year (0.4 bWAR) for a Mets team that was still figuring itself out. But Colon’s sense of humor, casual nature, and everyman physique made him a fan favorite off the bat. Over the next two seasons, Colon was a steady hand, helping to guide the young aces of , , , and . was already established by the time Colon arrived, but it was clearly Bart and the kids in the rotation, and he seemed to enjoy that role. For the young fans, Grandpa Bartolo was a fun role. For those of us who were already older than most of the Mets in 2016, it was nice to see a guy not just holding onto his dream well into adulthood, but also well into beer belly territory. And for fans even older than Colon, he represented a throwback to a different time of baseball, where you didn’t need to be a physical specimen to be an All-Star player. Colon represented a different type of six pack than many of his teammates. But perhaps the least heralded reason for the enduring nature of the Bartolo home run is Gary Cohen’s masterful call of it.