11- time all- star, former slugger for four teams, including the ’86 Mets, one of the greatest personalities in baseball history, and Cooperstown’s own, Gary Carter, died yesterday at the age of 57 due to complications of brain cancer. “His nickname ‘The Kid’ captured how Gary approached life,” the Mets said Thursday in a statement. “He did everything with enthusiasm and with gusto on and off the field. His smile was infectious. … He was a Hall of Famer in everything he did.”
How will “The Kid” be remembered? Of course for his infectious smile, love of the game, and upright batting stance, but also because of what he did in Game 6 of the ’86 World Series.
With two outs in the tenth inning, the Mets down by two, and the scoreboard already reading that the Red Sox won the World Series, Carter was up, determined to get on base. Carter said he had just one thought in mind: “I wasn’t going to make the last out of the World Series.” That single he hit was one of the most important of that series and led to the Mookie Wilson ground ball to first, a ground ball that has lived in baseball infamy.
Carter was a professional. He always knew hat to say and how to act. “He was a great defensive catcher,” former manager Davey Johnson said. “He kept a book on every hitter — in both leagues. He demanded a lot from my young pitchers and accelerated their growth. The only time he ever had a cross word was a day game after a night game and I rested him. He tried to get in the lineup. He was ‘never say die, never lose hope.” For the Mets, he is the most recognizable catcher in their long history. He is one of the greatest players in their history.
