Carter's Series-clinching Home Run for the Mets Dies at 57

by bchenglk44 on 2012-02-20 13:56:35

Mr. Carter was an 11-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner. His single in the bottom of the 10th inning in Game 6 of the 1986 series loaded the bases for the Mets against the Boston Red Sox, setting them up to hold on and eventually beat them. After his playing career ended in 1992, Mr. Carter stayed in baseball as a broadcaster for the Florida Marlins, a coach and manager in the Mets’ minor league system, the manager of two independent minor league teams and a college coach. His smile, lively personality and desire to excel brought joy to those who watched him play and knew him. Overall, Mr. Carter hit 324 home runs with 1,225 runs batted in and a .262 average. Despite nine knee surgeries, he set a record for most games caught by a major league catcher, proving his durability. His words, he brought a clean single off Red Sox pitcher Calvin Schiraldi to left field. Kevin Mitchell then followed with a single, and Ray Knight singled to drive in Mr. Carter, who had bounced around from second base. The star catcher whose single in the 1986 World Series triggered one of the unlikeliest rallies in baseball history, died Thursday. He was 57. Mr. Carter played nearly two decades for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers. He led the Expos to their only playoff appearance and was the first player to wear an Expo cap in Cooperstown. "Gary was one of the happiest players in the world every day," former Mets teammate Mookie Wilson once said. On the family website, Mr. Carter's daughter, Kimmy Bloemers, wrote: "I am heartbroken to tell you all that my precious Daddy went to be with Jesus at 4:10 p.m. today." "This is by far the hardest thing I have ever had to write in my entire life but I wanted you all to know," she added. Mr. Carter, twice an All-Star game MVP, remains the only player to have two-homer performances in both an All-Star game and a World Series game, and set the NL record for games caught. Mr. Carter said he had just one thought in his mind: "I'm not going to make the final out of the World Series" Even the Hall of Fame plaque in Cooperstown that shows him with a toothy grin -- the Kid forever. "His nickname 'The Kid' captured how Gary approached life," the Mets said in a statement. "He did everything with full passion and zest both on and off the field,www.pnweifu.com. ... He was a Hall of Famer in everything he did, his smile was contagious." "A robust field general known for clutch hitting over 19 seasons with rock-solid defense and a trademark smile," reads his Hall plaque. Mr. Carter was called Kid because of his effervescent personality and boyish enthusiasm. He earned his nickname as a teenager eager to please in his first big-league camp and it stuck for the rest of his career -- fittingly so. The rally overshadowed the fact that Mr. Carter had tied the game in the eighth with a sacrifice fly. Then, in Game 7, Mr. Carter drove in the tying run in the sixth inning, setting the Mets up to win their most recent championship. "Gary Carter became one of the elite catchers in the game driven by a notable passion for the game," Commissioner Selig said in a statement. With flowers, a torch, golden locks flowing from under his helmet and a rigid, upright batting stance, Mr. Carter was instantly recognizable. Besides his daughter, who is the softball coach at Atlantic in Palm Beach, Mr. Carter, who lived in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., is survived by his wife, Sandy; a son they call D.J., James Douglas; another daughter, Christi; and three grandchildren. [Ming You Jing Chun optimization room QQ contact 4 6 6 4 0 1 6 0 4 7 5 9 5 4 2 5 4 1 0 product keywords guarantee 4 on Baidu's front page Eight thousand a year send website a!] Mr. Carter was recognized, too, for his contributions off the field, when he was honored with the Roberto Clemente Award. He was elected to the Hall on his sixth try, in 2003. Especially, he was drawn into his biggest moment of his career. When powerful Mets were in their last chance in the 1986 series, Mr. Carter strengthened with two outs. Nobody based, New York trailing Boston 5-3 in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 6. In May last year, two weeks after Mr. Carter finished his second season as a coach at Atlantic University in Palm Beach, he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Jay Horwitz, a Mets spokesman, said Mr. Carter died in hospice care in the West Palm Beach, Fla., area. New York - Gary Carter, nicknamed "The Kid", had good reason. As Mr. Carter crossed the plate, he tapped hands with Wilson on the deck, pointing again applause. Moments later, Bill Buckner's error allowed a stunning, 6-5 victory for Knight. Mr. Carter rushed to the dugout to join the celebration already begun at home plate, still wearing the catcher's gear. Related thematic articles: Website traffic targeted and 100% free! Get online promotion! Hacker article Symantec source code ransom failed Windows based on ARM will include Office 15 pre-installed Fremont's LED startup says price point is right Comments on this page are combined across all categories of SEO software.