LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Bart Show starts early in the morning. Bartolo Colon, who turns 44 in May, remains the ultimate baseball kid.
At 7:30 Thursday morning, there was Big Sexy going locker to locker in Champion Stadium, giving fist bumps and smiles to each of his new teammates.
To know Bart is to love Bart. SOB — Same Old Bart.
However, the uniform has changed. Instead of wearing Mets colors, Colon is now working his timeless magic with the Braves, ready for his 20th major league season.
“There are not too many guys that when you find out they are going to be on your team, you go, ‘Yes! That’s awesome!’ ’’ Braves catcher Anthony Recker told The Post. “You are truly just genuinely excited just to see him again, have him walk through the door for 162 games.’’
Recker is a former Met. He knows Bart.
“Guys here were asking me, ‘What’s Bartolo like?’ All I had to say was, ‘He’s the best,’ ’’ Recker said.
The Mets already have an issue with Zack Wheeler’s tender elbow. Colon was always there to give the Mets a rotation security blanket, but now that he is a Brave, he is allowing general manager John Coppolella to get some sleep at night, not having to fret over Atlanta’s struggling rotation like a year ago when the Braves’ starters posted a 4.87 ERA and the relievers pitched the most innings (567 ¹/₃) in franchise history.
Colon knows he is missed, by his teammates, by Mets fans.
“I had the idea that I was probably going to stay with the Mets at the end of the season,” Colon said through an interpreter. “My family is up there, but it’s a business, and I had to do what was right for me and my family. This was a business decision.’’
He signed a one-year deal with the Braves for $12.5 million. Good business. The Braves also signed ex-Met R.A. Dickey to bolster the rotation.
“I’m very happy, very excited to be with this new team here,’’ Colon said. “I’m excited for the opportunity to see how I can contribute and how we can progress as a team.
“The Mets did a lot for me,’’ Colon said. “It’s just one of those things.’’
Colon is closing on a spot in the record books. His 233 career wins ranks second all-time among Dominican-born pitchers, behind only Hall of Famer Juan Marichal (243). Dennis Martinez holds the all-time record for wins among Latin American pitchers with 245.
[mlbvideo id=”671207583″ width=”640″ height=”360″ /]
“My main goal is to stay healthy and if it happens, it happens, if not, so be it,’’ Colon said.
Colon said he will keep pitching as long as teams want him.
The Braves are moving into a new ballpark, SunTrust Park, and need to regain the trust of the fans. June 9 will be Bartolo Colon Bobblehead Day. Maybe the 5-foot-11, 280-pound Colon will homer that day.
“We went through way too many games last year when we had to take our starting pitcher out in the second and third innings,’’ Coppolella said. “If I were a young pitcher and I’d see Bartolo Colon at (43) and R.A. Dickey at 42, I would start to think to myself, what do I need to do to be like them. They can help our young pitchers grow. Bartolo is just a fun guy to be around. I think back to John Hart signing Bartolo 28 years ago, think about that for a minute — 28 years.’’
Coppolella was 10 when Colon first signed with the Indians.
The Bart Show is still playing.
“I just want to be available to help the young starters here in any way I can, similar to as I was with the Mets,’’ Colon said.
Will Bartolo hit another home run for the Braves, like he did with the Mets?
“God willing,’’ Colon said.
“I just want to let the Mets fans know that I care about them a lot, and I’m definitely going to miss them, but I hope they understand it’s a business.’’
Like no one else in baseball, Bartolo Colon knows how to mix business with pleasure.