LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — New Braves pitcher R.A. Dickey takes great pride in winning a Cy Young Award with the Mets in 2012. He also takes great pride in being the key player traded for Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud, after that season, helping to give the Mets such a bright present and future.
It all worked out Thor the best.
“That organization means so much to me,’’ Dickey told The Post on Thursday at Champion Stadium. “It’s great to even help them in my departure. That enabled them to get back [to being a contender]. It’s kind of an honor to help an organization do that.’’
The Mets acquired Syndergaard and d’Arnaud for Dickey in the seven-player deal with Toronto that revitalized the Mets.
“I don’t have any ill will towards the Mets. I had a great relationship with Sandy [Alderson], Terry [Collins]. I absolutely loved playing for him,’’ the 42-year-old Dickey said. “I wish them the best and I look forward to battling them now in the division.’’
“When I was in Toronto, I wanted it to be Mets-Toronto in the World Series.’’
Now it’s about beating out the Mets in the NL East.
“What an incredible athlete,’’ Dickey said of Syndergaard. “It doesn’t surprise me that he wants to throw an even faster fastball.’’
Dickey is looking forward to facing his old team — the Mets open against the Braves.
“Since I won the Cy Young Award I never pitched at Citi Field,’’ Dickey said. “I pitched against them [in Toronto]. So this will be special for me.’’
As for teaming up with veteran Bartolo Colon, another ex-Met, Dickey said: “This is the perfect illustration of the human spirit. You constantly have to change. Bartolo has done it with a 98-mph fastball and now he is doing it as a sinkerballer. I’ve done it as a 93-94 mph sinkerballer, now I’m doing it as a knuckleballer. If you want something badly enough, you’ll find a way.
“We both love our craft and here we are.’’
Dickey said his knuckleball is still moving and he can have a strong season.
“It could be more than a bridge year, if we can all do what we can do,’’ Dickey said. “And that’s what’s cool about this.’’
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