Saying goodbye to The Kid (1954-2012)
Baseball mourns the loss of Gary Carter, who helped the Mets to the 1986 title and was inducted in the Hall of Fame after a 19-year career with the Expos, Mets, Giants and Dodgers. “The Kid” passed away peacefully on Feb. 16, 2012, at the age of 57 in his home state of Florida after a courageous battle with brain cancer.
“Driven by a remarkable enthusiasm for the game, Gary Carter became one of the elite catchers of all-time,” Commissioner Bud Selig said. “‘The Kid’ was an 11-time All-Star and a durable, consistent slugger for the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, and he ranks among the most beloved players in the history of both of those franchises. . . . I extend my deepest condolences to Gary’s wife Sandy, their daughters Christy and Kimmy, their son D.J., their grandchildren, his friends and his many fans.”
Major League Baseball invites fans to please leave any condolences and memories of Gary in this guestbook blog’s comments.
Remembering Gary Carter 
You are in our thoughts and prayers, Gary…you were one of my favorites on that ’86 team. I will always remember your enthusiasm. Your love for baseball was always SO evident by the way you played the game. Get well soon!!
God bless, Gary. Thanks for the memories.
You are one of my “Boys of Summer,” a big part of one of the greatest times of my life, during which your sportsmanship on and off the field were always an example to your teammates and fans. You will always be in my heart.
Gregg Rosenblatt
NJ/Fla
Mets Forever
GET WELL SOON!
Thoughts and prayers for you.
Fight the good fight. We’re pulling for you now just as we did when you were in uniform. God bless you and yours.
Our prayers are with you.IN the Jewish tradition we say a mi sheberach prayer for healing, and we ll say one for you! We had the pleasure of meeting you in port st lucid a few yrs ago right before your daughters wedding. It was a pleasure. You gotta believe!
hey there gary. your bravery and inspiration on the field will see you through off the field. my thoughts and prayers to you and your family.
while with the giants,i called your name and said “thank you for the 1986 world champion mets” you came over and shook my hand and said thank you with that big smile of yours. take care we love you.
chris williams and family oakland ca.
My thoughts and prayers are with you. You are an all time great Met. But more you are a class act and deserve much better. Stay strong.
Your smile , your enthusiasm, and your leadership as a Met’s player will never be forgotten. We need more players like you, a real team player. You were always one of my favorite players, Gary.During this difficult time, I just want to tell you that I know you will get through this. My family and I, as well as all Met fans, will be praying for you to have a speedy recovery and hope that some day you’ll be able to manage the Mets . It’s a tough job, but we’ll be waiting for you. Good luck!
Maria Laue
I became a baseball follower and Mets fan in 1962.Baseball is a sport mostly filled with failure and frustrations as exemplified by our beloved team.Some of my fondest memories as a Mets fan are from the years where you and others instilled a gritty and winning attitude into our beloved franchise. As you and your family confront an enormous enemy my hopes and prayers are for a miracle to occur and for you to beat the odds in the battle of life as you always did on the diamond. God bless!
Praying for a speedy recovery , may God’s healing Hand remove those tumors and strength & peace to your loved ones.
Gary,
I am praying for you and hope that you can beat this horrible illness. It was an honor to watch you play baseball! I only hope and pray that I can once again see you on the diamond at Citi Field when the Mets decide to retire your number, which is long over due. God bless you!
Get well Gary. You’ll fight through this, I know it.
Dear Gary,
You never gave up on the field and I hope and pray you don’t give up off of it. You are a fighter, a warrior and I know that you can beat this terrible disease. I wish you all the best as you take on this battle.
David
anoriginalmetfan
Gary “The Kid” Carter. You always were a fighter, and I/we wish you a swift recovery. Anything is possible, and with your determination and fight, along with the great MDs at Duke University, I can’t wait to hear that you are in remission and hope to see your return to the coaching box on a field very shortly.
Best wishes, you and your family are in our prayers.
Anthony
Get well Kid.
Get well soon Gary, we are all pulling for you, our thoughts and prayers are with you and we all know you have what it takes to pull through this!
Gary, I’d like to wish you all the best going forward and with your recovery. Stay positive and stay strong!
I’m praying for you Mr. Carter. I’m praying for you to stay strong and never to stop having faith that you will beat this illness. Never give up, use the same strength and faith that you used to become a Hall of Famer to beat this illness. It’s not your time to go, you still have many more lives to touch and many more smiles to give.
Best Wishes and Prayers to you
If there is anyone out there that has the strength to take on this cancer it is Gary Carter. A true professional that played the game and life right. looking forward to a healthy recovery.
get well soon kid your in our prayer i thank you for “86”.
Hey ‘Kid,’
The only thing my mother-in-law and I ever agreed on, is that you were the most awesome Met.
Good luck Gary!
Hang in there. As a player you were always a fighter who was at his best with two strikes.
Gary, We wish you the fastest recovery possible! you are one of the greatest New York Mets to ever play the game. Thank you for all the wonderful memories and hopefully we will see you back in the booth, sooner rather than later.
hope you have a lot of fight in you,,,,my prayers are with you..1986 all over again……please win another one for us mets fans…
Gary,
Late that night in October of 1986 when all faces were saddened and the dream season was about to close, you stood up with a bat in your hands and said “NO”. You started the rally and we went on to win it all. You are without a doubt, the Comeback Kid and with God at your side, you will stand again with that bat and win this one as well. May God be with you all the way. We love you, Gary!
Gary, you were the turning point for the Mets to become the championship team they became. As a Met fan I am eternally grateful for your time with us in New York and wish you a speedy recovery and all best possible outcomes from your present battle.
Gary – love you, man. May you keep that smile on your face for years to come. Best wishes as you go through your treatment. We love you.
Gary,
I wasn’t born until 4 years after the Mets won in 1986, but I became a huge Mets fan at just 10 years old. My father and older brother are both die hard Mets fan, so your name is one I was raised with. I know how important you are to the franchise, and obviously how important you still are to your old teammates and Mets fans everywhere. I cannot thank you enough for all the memories you have given the Mets nation, and I know I am not alone when I wish you and your family all the luck and strength it takes for you to beat this. From what I hear I know you can do it. On behalf of myself and my family, we wish all the best to you and your family. Please get well soon. “Ya Gotta Believe”, we all believe in you.
Calise, Worthy & Skip LeMontagne
Get well Gary
All of baseball is praying for you. You are a class act, on and off the field. Best wishes from a family of lifelong baseball (METS) fans.
Gary,
You hit a game winning home run the day I was born, so it was destiny that you would be my favorite player. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you in person three times and each time you acted as if meeting a fan was as exciting for you as meeting you was for me. Your toughness on the baseball field is legendary, and I know that will translate now as you defeat this. I can’t wait to see you throwing out the first pitch at Citi Field as soon as you are ready to. Get well soon! We’re all thinking of you!
Adam
Get well, Gary! We’re pulling for you!
Gary – – this Mets fan is thinking and praying for you and your family. You are a class act and you will see this through. God Bless.
Get well soon Gary. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Get well Gary! Stay positive and keep faith in god!
Hold your head high “Kid” you will get through this. Thinking of you always and praying hard.
Hey, Gary,
All of us Met fans have you and your family in our thoughts. Keep battling like you did in Game 6. We’re pulling for you today as we did 25 years ago. God bless you, Kid.
Chris D in Verbank, NY
Gary you were the reason I wanted to be a catcher playing ball as a kid. My dad, my coach at the time, was so impressed when I began framing pitches at age 8. He asked where I learned it from and I told him, “watching Gary Carter.” I’m praying for you and hope you pull through. Amazin’ things can happen when you believe!
God bless you Gary! Thank you for all the wonderful memories. Hope you get well soon.
Gary – you were my favorite player growing up in New York. I wore your #8 and imitated your stance in little league. You’re going to beat this thing.
Get well! You are in all of our thoughts!
Gary, Thanks for being you. When you came to the Mets, you helped change that culture and were a great player, leader and person. I wanted you to know that you have a ton of people rooting for you, just like we did when you wore the blue and orange. Good luck in your battle. Randy P.
All the best wishes, Kid. You gave us memories of a lifetime!
Dear Gary,
I’ve been a fan for a long time, as has my family.
Best wishes for your full recovery.
Tim
When I think of you, I think of your youthful exuberance for the game, and you always seemed like an even a better person than you were a ballplayer. My thoughts are with you and your family at this time, and I’m hoping you can win this battle! Sincerely, Gregg Sloane (a lifelong, dedicated, passionate Met fan)
The whole Besio family wishes you the best!
We are praying for you and your family, Gary!