Gary Carter “The Kid”
Gary Carter, “The Kid” emerged as the best catcher in the National League as Johnny Bench began to wane. Carter starred in Montreal until he was traded to the Mets prior to the 1985 season. In New York he blasted a game-winning 10th inning homer on opening day and helped lead the Mets to a World Series title in 1986, guiding a talented pitching staff and supplying a clutch bat. His single in Game Six of the 1986 World Series started the three-run rally which shocked the Boston Red Sox and forced a seventh game. Like most catchers, Carter aged quickly, but not before he established himself as the best catcher in the National League in the 1980s. Nicknamed “the Kid” for his youthful exuberance, Carter was named an All-Star 11 times, Won 2 AS Game MVP’s, 3 Gold Gloves, 5 SS and was a key member of the 1986 World Series champion Mets. He is one of four players to be named a Captain of NY Mets and was the first player to wear a Montreal Expo hat in Cooperstown when he was inducted in 2003. His #8 was retired by the Expo franchise.
Carter joked he wanted a half and half hat, but Dale Petroskey declared that Carter’s achievements with the Expos over 12 season had earned his induction, whereas his five seasons with the Mets by themselves would not have, saying “we want to have represented on the plaque the team that best represents where a player made the biggest impact in his career. When you look at it, it’s very clear. Gary Carter is an important part of the history of the Expos.”
The Montreal Expos, who were my favorite strat o matic team back in the day made their only playoff appearance in 1981, Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau once remarked: “I am certainly happy that I don’t have to run for election against Gary Carter.” Over two series the Kid hit .429 in 10 games hitting 2 homeruns and driving in 6. Carter also punished the Red Sox in the 86 World Series with 2 hrs and 9 RBI’s in the 7 game classic.
It is hard to believe the Expos tried to make him an outfielder on multiple occasions, because His 810 baserunners caught stealing are the most for any major-league catcher since the end of the dead-ball era, when stolen bases were more prevalent he ended up catching the most games in NL history at the time of his retirement, he broke the 100-assist barrier in 1977, he joined Johnny Bench and Jim Sundberg as the only major-league catchers to have more than 100 assists in a season since the end of World War II. He also ranked 7th in both homers as a catcher 307 and RBIS 1225.
Carter is also part of the New York Mets Hall of Fame, Canadian Hall of Fame, Washington Nationals Ring of Honer and his number 8 has never been wore by a Mets player since he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.
The 11th edition of the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, published in 2012, credits Carter, who rarely used profanity, with the first recorded use of the term “f-bomb.”
Gary sadly passed away at the young age of 57.
The Gary Carter All Time Teammate Team
C: Barry Foote
1B: Keith Hernandez
2B: Juan Samuel
3B: Larry Parrish
SS: Chris Speier
LF: Tim Raines
CF: Andre Dawson
RF: Darryl Strawberry
SP: Steve Rogers
SP: Dwight Gooden
SP: David Cone
SP: Dennis Martinez
SP: Orel Hershiser
RP: Jeff Reardon
M: Davey Johnson
Nine Players Who
Debuted in 1974
Robin Yount
Gary Carter
Jim Rice
Keith Hernandez
Fred Lynn
Jim Sundberg
Kent Tekulve
Dennis Leonard
John Montefusco