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 
We are praying for you.
Hoping you get better…thinking of you and your family!
Gary, praying for you and your family. Hang in there! Love you!
You are one of my favorite all-time players. Get well soon man.
Gary, you will always be my favorite catcher. You made it happen in 1986. Thanks for the past memories & God bless.
Kevin A. Fechter
Shirley, NY
Gary,
I was there in ’69 and ’86 (and even in the Polo Grounds in ’62). You are one of the all-time great Mets. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Roger Geiss
Peoria, IL
Gary, You’re in our thoughts and prayers every day. The joy you gave to Met’s fans is coming back to you in love and prayers for your recovery. Louise & Gil Miller
Gary, Praying for your complete recovery. May God be with you on your journey.
You may want to check out these doctors–drs-stanislaw-and-gregory-burzynski. They have had very good results.
I was at the HOF ceremony this past weekend, I kept hoping to see Kid come out, obviously i understood when he didn’t. Bert in his acceptance speech acknowledged Kid and his fight and said he was praying for him and asked us all to do the same. Here’s thinking of you Kid.
Without the Kid there would have been no 1986 World Series. We all care and pray for you.
You are the reason I became a Mets fan. I wore my white #8 jersey until it was gray. You are in my prayers.
Gary,
You are in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Keep your head high. May God bless you and your family.
Gary,
You gave me and my family lots of happy afternoons and evenings while playing for the Mets. My brother-in-law and I were at opening day (the day of your first day as a Met) and didn’t disappoint. Your never give up attitude will help you immensely in the fight you find yourself in now and just like you came through on that opening day, I know you’ll come through again. Thinking of, and praying for you.
Get Well Soon,
Frank Gualtieri
I will keep you in my Prayers,Please stay Strong,We Need ya “Kid”!!!
Haven’t forgotten you Gary. If there is power in the thoughts and prayers of your fans, you will be fine……
My parents travel to Spring Training every year down in Port St. Lucie and have told me that Gary Carter was amongst the nicest players they ever came in contact with. You were always so accommodating for autographs and photos and they were very appreciative. They made the trip up to Cooperstown to see you inducted. Thanks Kid. God Bless You.
Gary,
You always had a can do attitude as a player. Please keep that attitude as you battle your illness. My thoughts and prayers are with you, Kid.
Stephen
Gary,
Growing up as a huge Mets fan in New Jersey, you were my favorite player of all time. You and my beloved Mets won the world series for their number one Mets fan when I was just 12 years old. When playing baseball, I had your batting stance. You were my idle. I never met you but I wish I have the opportunity to meet you one day. Being a cancer survivor two years ago, I know you can pull this off. I wish you nothing but the best. Keep up the faith and everything will work out.
Carlo
Dear Gary,
You were my inspiration to become a catcher when I only 10 years old. You were my inspiration to become a winner when you won the World Series back in ’86. You were my inspiration to work your tail off and you will be rewarded and immortalized when you were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. And now you are an inspiration for me as a man to fight and live! You are an inspiration for us all!
My prayers are with you and your family and I’m looking forward to meeting you and shaking your hand someday. Remember, you’re forever young. You’re The Kid!
Get well soon!
Omar Puebla
Mets fans the world over are behind you, Gary. Keep the faith and fight the good fight.
Gary,
As a Phillies batboy from the 1980’s I had never met you but I have always respected you as a player and a person. I wish you the best.
Mr. Carter,
Thank you for the memories of a lifetime. You made me and an entire generation (especially those of us in a little place called Flushing, NY) BELIEVERS! Words can’t describe the joy you brought me and so hopefully I and thousands of others can try to do the same for you. Thanks for making me a believer. Know that I still believe in you and always will. God bless you!
I’m 34 yrs old and born and bred in NYC. I’m a life long Mets fan and will always remember watching you catch for the the Mets in the 80’s, it was for a few yrs but you impacted the team and fans like few have. My dad went through a battle with cancer recently and he has beaten it till now. It is a tough situation to go through but you and your family are very religious and have faith. My prayers are with you and I know you will get on your knees and block cancer in its path as you did many a baseball in your days behind the plate. Take care Mr. Carter……………………..
Gary, you were my favorite Catcher ever! Your skill and heart are an inspiration to us all. You have all of the hopes and prayers of my family
-Jason D. , NY, NY
Dear Gary,
u had a great baseball career and i want you feel better. i mean, who doesn’t?
Brendan Balsamo (10 yr old)
Gary, You refused to let Calvin Schiraldi and the Red Sox beat you in ’86. That same never-say-die attitude will serve you well in your current battle and cemented you forever in Mets fan’s hearts. We will always remember your smile, your passion and your hands raised high in victory. As Tug would say, ya gotta believe, Kid!
Gary,
The entire Met Fan community is pulling for you right now. We are right by your side. Thanks for great memories.
Out thoughts, prayers and best wishes are with you and your family.
Ken Walter and Family
Gary,
You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. We know the pressure is on, and who better to handle it than “Kid Clutch”. I met you in Montreal on your bobblehead day, it was a great experience. Have faith and God Bless You…#8
Gary – We finally got to meet you as the manager of the Long Island Ducks. I was long-time fan of yours, but when I brought my young daughter to meet you, you were nothing but smiles & friendliness to her. Later that year we took a trip to Cooperstown and I took a photo of her pointing to your plaque. A couple weeks later we attended another Ducks game. You were so interested in the image that I printed for you that I remember everyone in line behind me getting angry that I was taking up your time. You spent a good few minutes talking with my daughter and I remember thinking to myself that not many people who reach your level of fame and recognition would take time to do so. You truly are a wonderful person and I know that being the person you are, you will not let this sickness get you down and you will fight and win! We are all fighting for you and wishing nothing but the best outcome for you! You will win……. as you always have in life.
Dear Gary,
You were the best catcher in the majors in the 80’s as far as I’m concerned. When you came to the Mets in the 80’s I knew we were on the verge of somthing big. Your baseball memories as a met will last forever in our minds. You were a champion in the year 1986 and nothing can take that away. God bless you and your famliy, you are beloved in New York.
Gary I am a 57 year old native New Yorker who grew up playing on the sandlots of Brooklyn. I was fortunate enough to live my dream if even for a short while being signed by a professional baseball club. I so appreciated watching you play the game the right way with passion and enthusiasm. As an athlete it was very clear to me that there was something very special about you that transcended you mere performance between the lines. In a very challenging environment you swam against the tide and I believe that God will honor you and your family for your unwavering courage. May He strengthen and reinforce His presence in your life during this difficult season.
Gordon
Gary, you are in my thoughts and prayers. I took my oldest son to meet you in 1986 and you were one of the sweetest guys I ever met. Besides being such a big part of the Mets especially in 1986, i will always remember how nice you were to the both of us. Keep fighting and take care , you deserve all the best
Barbara Baumann
Get Well soon Gary Carter.We send our LOVE and PRAYERS to you.You are our favorite.Donna,Kristen and Pat
Gary,
Your arrival at Shea was the reason my husband and I bought season tickets. We enjoyed every minute of watching your love for the game and your respect of the fans. We pray that God blesses you and your family.
Gary, you were a great player, and an even better person my son won’t ever forget the night in philly that you autographed his mets cap,God bless you and keep you in his care always,you are in our prayers #8.
Steve&Matt
GOD BLESS YOU GARY! YOU TRULY ARE A GREAT MET BUT GREATER PERSON! STAY STRONG
Gary, we wish you the best and are praying for your recovery and for your family during this time. May the Wind be at your back.
Bill & Judy Fleming
God bless you and your family. We’ve got your back Kid!
Stay positive Kid, like you did in game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Just when it seemed like it was over you fought and prevailed. It will happen again, you will fight and prevail.
God Bless You Kid!!!!!
What class act. I met Gary at a signing he did In Union, NJ many years ago and he took the time to personally speak with my 5 yr old son and myself. At the time he was building a new home and he sat down with us and showed us the pictures. What a great person and an even better ball player!!!! Oh yes he did sign a picture and a bat for us. Best of luck…
Gary,
You made 1986 the “Year of the Mets” for me. Whenever I see clips from those days, I become a 20-year-old college kid all over. Thank you for all the memories and making us proud.
Kid, you’re the best. God Bless you and heal you.
Love you Gary. Continue to be the fighter you’ve always been. Our hearts, love and prayers are with you. Joanne G. and Sheaboy.
We love you Gary. You are and will always be the quintessential Met–one who keeps on fighting with unwavering determination and plenty of guts. Those qualities will serve you well through this battle. Stay strong and know that we are all rooting for you.
I am a diehard Mets fan since 1968, but this is not about baseball. I wish for you from one human to another that you keep your faith up & that you battle back from the ailments you have. You have definitely been an inspiration to children & adults alike. So may God bless you & help you through these rough times. William Lopez
Gary, all of your fans are behind you in this fight. For this diehard Mets fan, you were not only my favorite player, but demonstrated grace and commitment by sending back a personal note on a photo when I sent a letter, not once but twice! I never forgot that…and wish you strength and courage now more than ever.
Long live the Kid!
Hang ,in there, ,my wife has Cancer for ,the passed 4 ,+ yrs and she is still ,here so dont ,give ,up.
David Vazquez
Gary, in the late 1980’s I saw you play several times at the old Met Park in Norfolk and it was incredible to see the those mid and late 80’s Mets teams play. I also saw you on a couple of rehab assignments and the giant smile that you had for us kids trying to get autographs is a memory that will never leave my mind. God bless and God speed on your next trip, you will always be in our hearts.
if anyone can come back from this its the kid..hang in there …you guys weren’t the come back kids for nothing..best wishes to you and your family..
Gary, praying for you and your family daily. I know you are in the best of hands-God’s. Was a privilege to be able to meet you, get your autograph and shake your hand. You are and will always be my favorite Met.
Janice Krug