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 
Kid:
I wish you all the best and hope you get well soon. You are strong and will come through this. I can’t wait to see you at Citi Field when the Mets retire your number 8.
All the best,
Ian Gaynor
Gary, I was seven when you led the Mets to the World Series in the most exciting World Series in history. I grew up going to Mets games with my mom and you were her absolute favorite. She also thought you were the cutest. Thanks for giving us so much joy on the field and for being such a fighter off of it!
Dear Kid,
I never saw you play in person, but I know that you helped the MLB and many other kids in the Florida area. To be a true Met fan, you need to know who Gary Carter is, and how nice he is to everyone, Met OR Yankee fan.
Your fan,
James Rockhill, Tuckahoe NY
Kid, you are in my thoughts and prayers. Keep the faith, fight the fight, you will beat this ! Thank you for all the years of joy you brought to us fans. Get well soon !
Love,
Janine D.
Wantagh, NY
Best wishes for a speedy recovery. You gotta believe! cheryl
Gary, thoughts and prayers go with you “kid”. You were a joy to watch as a player. “You gotta believe” that you will get well. Take care and be well.
Helen
Rincon, GA
Gary, like others have commented, I watched your at-bat in the Game 6 and saw clearly how you hadn’t given up on the game and the series. You started the rally that Mets fans will never forget and we will never forget you. You are a fighter and I wish you well on your latest challenge.
Hey Gary, As a life long Met fan I will never forget the joy and elation upon hearing the news that the KID was coming to Queens…..my father purchased tickets to opening day that year to see your debut as a Met. The crowd was delirious with joy and excitement, chanting, Gary, Gary, the stadium was rocking, and the crowd was electric and jumping and screaming for joy when you hit the home run. We loved you then and love you now and wish you a miracle just like the one your brought to the Mets. Go get em Kid!!
Kid, you are certainly no stranger to miracles. I think I speak for all Mets fans in saying that we rooted for you then, and we’re still rooting for you now. Ya Gotta Believe!
One of my fondest memories is of walking down the exit ramps on Opening Day in 1985, chanting “Gary, Gary!” with tens of thousands of my fellow fans, making the concrete bounce. Well, we’re all chanting “Gary, Gary!” again – – and wishing you all the best as you bounce back from this challenge.
Gary i loved you as a ballplayer and most of all as a loving and caring person. You are a champion my friend. I know you will battle this condition as you battled on the field every day. You are a winner my friend, and you will win this battle. I am rooting for you like i always have when you played. May God bless you and keep you strong and positive. We love you.
Your fan,
Frank DeSantis
Hey Gary hang in there! You were a fighter with the Mets and you’ll continue to fight through this.
Get well kid!!!!!!!!
No matter what team a fan rooted for during your playing days, your enthusiasm and skill endeared you to fans of all the baseball teams.
Our prayers go out for you in this very challenging inning of your life.
Gary, You were my absolute Favorite Met! 1986 was a Fabulous Year. You gave it Everything you had! I met you several Times and you were always such a gentleman! One of the highlights of my life was when you managed the Long Island Ducks and hosted “Carter Camp” for young boys interested in baseball. YOU were coaching my 8 year old Son on How to be a good player & Catcher! It literally brought me to Tears. I was so taken back…You even personally signed a Pictuure I took of the two of you! At the time, my son didn’t understand why I was crying…he didn’t understand just how Great you are until my husband and I took him to the Baseball Hall of Fame! He knows now, just how lucky he was to spend that time with you & to Learn from you!
He is now 10 and on his way to being a Great catcher!
Thank You, Thank You…May God Bless you & your Family….Don’t give up the fight…You CAN do this! All my Love & Prayers!
Michelle D
Holbrook, Long Island NY
I forgot how great you were. I remember the first game you played as a NY Met and won the game with a walk off homer. If all the Met players today played with half of your intensity we would easily be in first place.( and beat the Yanks too) Get well soon.
Gary — you are all that everyone should be. We’re all pulling for you.
— Russ
Kid, thank you for all those great moments in 86′. You just have to find that same fight you all had back then and I know you’ll beat this. My family send’s our love and prayers to you and your family. GOD BLESS!!! Harry from Toms River NJ.
Dear Gary, I met you when I was 7 years old when you came to my small town in Jersey for a signing. You have been my all time favorite met ever since. Always Remember 1986. Best of luck in your fight and god bless. Brett from NJ.
Gary,
I was a young 10 year old kid watching you as a Phillies fan in 1980 own the Vet. Long story short – Bowa sent me looking for another team and it was your day in and day out determination that made you my favorite. Then the trade to the Met and the rest is history. 25 yrs later I look back and continue to find out that even at a young age I was an incredible judge of character. Thank you for your examples which know are reflected back on with my 9 and 11 year old kids. I know we also share the same faith in God and it is times like now when you will find him by your side as you question. Be strong and know that you are in our prayers.
Get well as I expect to see you one day managing the Mets!
Best wishes,
Buser family
Reading, PA
Dear Mr. Carter,
I am a life long Mets fan and you are my favorite Met!!! I recently purchased a jersey with your name and #8 to show my support for you in your time of need!!! You have brought so much joy to so many over the years and I know that you will continue to do so for many years to come!!! I hope your fight is a short one and your recovery is quick!!! My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this trying time!!! You are an inspiration!!!
Thank You!!!
Roy Raparelli
Kid, we love you and we are pulling for you! May God bless you and your family with the strength to overcome this! We “Believe” in your speedy recovery.
Tom, Terra & Dorothy Henderson
The one and only Met that should have his number retired since Tom Seaver. God bless you.
Keep fighting, Kid!
As a teenager watching the 1986 team, I enjoyed your competitive spirit, your class, and your dignity. I wish you all the best. I know you will keep fighting, “Kid”!
Mr. Carter — as a New Yorker, and Mets fan, your presence on the great Mets teams in the 80’s meant a lot to me. It was always a joy to watch you play. Your disposition and ability made it easy to root for you, and between the two, you never disappointed. You gave me, my brother, and my father, a lot of good memories. I send you prayers and my best wishes for your treatment and recovery. Chris O.
DUDLEY,
NO DISRESPECT W/ THE NICKNAME, YOU GAVE A DIFFERENT FACET TO A TEAM THAT WOULD BE OTHERWISE A GROUP OF PRIMA DONNA’S AND PROFESSIONALS (WITH TWO SLOTS OPEN FOR LENNY & WALLY) . YOUR ICE WAS OUR GAIN AND I LOVED THE MOTELY (AND BENIFICIAL) CHEMISTRY OF THE ’86 GROUP. I HOPE JOSH THOLE CAN SUPPLY WHAT YOU DID WHEN YOU SIGNED UP. UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH WHAT FRED’S PONZIFIED INVESITUERES WILL DISH OUT, BUT I HOPE TO SEE YOU AT NEXT YEAR’S OLD TIMER’S GAME.
P.S. HOW ABOUT DILLON GEE?
God Bless you, Gary. I wish you all the best and good health always. I met you in 1986, when I was ten years old after the world series, when the Mets held a dinner at the Crest Hollow Country Club for season ticket holders. I took a picture with you, and you were so nice to me. I will never forget that moment!!
Saw you play 40-50 times a year with the Expos and you were not only the Expos MVP, but amongst the most valuable players in the entire NL for a time. I was really sadenned to hear of your health news.
Thanks for the great effort you gave to the Expos. I still can`t believe you caught 150+ games/year for so many seasons. IMO your great ironman efforts in Mtl probably shortened your career.
For many years you were the best defensive catcher and offensive catcher in an era where not many catchers could hit. When the Expos traded you to NY, the Mets became my favorite team. Indeed you and Dave Winfield were my favorite players growing up. Like him, you were both a great player and human being.
I was amongst those trying to drown out the boo-birds when you first returned to Mtl. It seemed you weren`t as appreciated in Mtl as you should have been, even though you gave 100% everyday when many of your teamates were dogging it on and off the field. Although I was annoyed when you wanted to enter the HOF as a Met I nevertheless understood why.
Thank-you Gary for the memories, and God bless you, from a former Expos fanatic.
Dear Gary, i was being born at the beginning of the 86 world championship season- and my whole life, you have been a household name. you are a legend, an inspiration to youth, and a class act. I wish you well and advise you to keep laughing, spending time with those you love, and never stop Believin’
God bless you Gary. All of our prayers are with you. I have been a Mets fan since the early 70″s and I knew the moment I heard that you were traded to the Mets that we finally had the missing piece to put it all together to win the world series. I sat in a very cold Shea stadium for your first game with the Mets and lost my voice screaming as the ball landed over the left field wall to win the game. You gave me my only world championship as you lead the ’86 team to the promise land. I thank you for that and for so many thrills along the way. Keep fighting Kid.
Paul Opramolla
Freehold, NJ
hey Gary, My name is eddie schubert from queens, i got the chance to meet you in 1987, at macys. i have been a fan of you and the mets for years. i writing to tell you that i am praying for you . i know if there is anyone who can win the battle its you. You have always been a winner. i had my own battle when they found a tumor in my lumber spine. i did my treatment and my family and friends prayed for me. im here 16 years later. win one more for me, thanks kid
Dear Gary,
You were the reason I watched baseball and was a catcher in CYO. Also you were part of my fav video as a kid “think big”. I wish nothing but the best for you and your family. ALWAYS BELIEVE
Nicholas Bartwink
Albany NY
God bless you Gary as you go through this challenging time in your life. May the Lord bless you and keep you!
The Montague’s
Gary I have had both the pleasure of watching you play and win a championship with the Mets and meeting you when you when you managed the LI Ducks. It was my birthday and you graciously signed autographs & posed for a picture with me and my family.
All our prayers are with you and your family as you fight this like the champion you are.
Love you KID!
Dear Gary,
My names is Robbie and I am 13 years old and I live in New York. Even though I have no idea what it is like to go through what you are going through, I wish you the best in your upcoming fight. 6 years ago, my grandfather, Myron, died after a two year fight with multiple brain tumors. Ever since then, I have participated as a team leader in the annual Have a Chance Walk for Brain Tumors. Raising money to aid in the search for a cure for this terrible disease has helped me remember my grandfather. I have raised tens of thousand of dollars for brain tumor research and am glad to say that I am optimistic that a cure is on it’s way and I want you to know that your not alone and you will get through this. Life never goes in a straight line. We all have obstacles that we have to face. You will get through this. I wish you and your family the best. I have been a Mets fan as long as I have followed baseball and you are one of the players who I admire the most because you refuse to give up. When I walk this year, I will be thinking of you and all of your lifetime achievements from the past, and the ones that you will have in the future. Best wishes and regards,
Robbie
-New York, NY
Go Mets!
Robbie, you are an articulate, well-spoken, compassionate and intelligent young man. I have no doubt that your grandfather is looking down at you with pride. I wish more people twice your age had the same outlook that you do.
One of my fondest memories is watching you play at Met Park in Norfolk while on a rehab assignment. You are loved by millions.
Gary-it was an honor meeting you years ago at a coaches clinic at the Shore Christian Academy in south Jersey. It was a great clinic and you spent so much time with each one of us. You were also gracious enough to sign your book for me. I only hope that I can meet you again so that you can add “HOF” next to your name. I attended Met Dream Week that January and was hoping you would be one of he coaches that year but you were having knee surgery. I wore # 8 in your honor as you were by far my favorite Met of all time. (Clint Hurdle had a problem with that… LOL). Bless you and your family..this is just another bump in the road. Thanks for all the memories
Tagliarini Family
Aberdeen,NJ
Gary,
You’ve always been a faith driven man. You have been an inspiration to a couple of generations, anyway. My prayers are with you and your family. God is still in the miracle business. And thanks for ’86.
James Talley
Hi Gary,
Thanks for providing some of the greatest memories of my lifetime. I wish you all the best.
Dear Gary,
I know you will get through this. Everyone has always been rooting for you, and now we are rooting for you to get well soon. We love you and know you will be strong and never give up. I know that the “Kid”, with a heart so caring and a impact on baseball so eminent, will beat this illness. Everyone wishes that you will get better soon because we all know that you will overcome this. Stay strong, Gary. You can beat this illness! We are all praying for you. Get well soon!
Love always,
Jennifer K.
Plainview, NY
Get well Gary! Keep fighting!
Gary, you were my all time favorite met growing up and always wore my #8 Carter t-shirt as soon as my mom was done washing it. Keep up the fight, I know you can. The doctors at Duke are great. Both of my boys had stemcell transplants done at Duke Childrens Hospital in January 2010. That place is full of miracles. I know there is one there for you as well.
Mel Sereno
West Caldwell, NJ
Mr. Carter,
Although I wasn’t around to watch you play, I am a huge Mets fan and know so much about your career and everything you have done for Major League Baseball. I truly wish you all the best and know you will get through this battle.
-Tommy
North Haledon, NJ
Praying for you and your family..”Let your heart not be troubled…” John 14:1
The Soto Family
Astoria NY
big fan of yours from montreal till you made all met fans happy by coming to newyork…my family will be praying for you to win this fight….the cusanellis
Gary,
Your work ethic was inspiring to me throughout your career. The Kent Family of Kendall Park, NJ are in your corner for this, the fight of your life.
I’ve been a fan of yours for a long time. I’m a retired NYPD Detective and I’ve recently been diagnosed with cancer. Let’s fight this battle together and win it.
KID
YOU ARE A FIGHTER AND A WINNER AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR MANY YEARS OF PUTTING A SMILE ON MY FACE WATCHING YOU PLAY THE GAME YOU LOVE AND THE GAME I LOVE TO WATCH. LIKE ALWAYS YOU WILL WILL THIS BATTLE 🙂
Gary, we are all praying for you. You vowed that you wouldn’t make the last out of the World Series…and I truly believe that you will win this battle, too. You have a wealth of family, friends, and fans who love you so much and are behind you every step of the way.
Stay strong and always believe!
The DiCostanzo family
Staten Island, NY