Obit of the Day: Hall of Famer Gary Carter
Gary Carter, Hall of Fame catcher, has died after a battle with glioblastoma. He was diagnosed with the aggressive form of cancer in May 2011. He was 57 years old.
Carter played in the majors for nineteen seasons beginning in 1974. Breaking into the majors with the Montréal Expos, Carter played with the team for ten seasons which included seven All-Star appearances, three Gold Gloves, and two Silver Slugger awards. He was also part of the only Expos team to make it to the playoffs in the strike-split season of 1981.
Signing as a free agent with the New York Mets after the 1984 season, he played in five more All Star games and won three more Silver Sluggers. He also drove in the first run of the (in)famous game six of the 1986 World Series which ended with Mookie Wilson’s grounder dribbling through Bill Buckner’s leg.
In 2006, Carter was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his sixth year of eligibility. After his retirement as a player he tried his hand at managing in various minor and independent leagues including heading the St. Lucie Mets, Orange County Flyers and Long Island Ducks. Before he took leave due to his illness he was managing the Palm Beach Atlantic University Sailfish, a Division II school.
Throughout his career Carter was known as “The Kid.” Although it came to represent his youthful looks and enthusiasm it was originally an attempt to mock the rookie Carter when he tried to win every competitive drill in Expos Spring Training.
Random note: Carter won the first-ever punt, pass, and kick competition in 1961 as the seven-year-old division champion.
(Card image copyright Topps Co. courtesy of Montreal Expos Cards.)
