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 
Baseball Mourns a great loss. A friend to all an accomplished hall of famer “kid” rest in peace…… MBA 2/16/12
He was my favorite Mets player and he died the same way my favorite Yankees player (Bobby Murcer) died. Lousy brain tumors.
RIP to both of those classy men.
I will always remember Mr. Carter as an Expo however.Those poor Expos, always the bridesmaid and never bride. If MLB had the current playoff structure back then, Carter, Andre Dawson, and Tim Raines could’ve had a few World Series rings.
God bless his family and you all.
Thanks for all the memories Gary Carter!!!! Seeing all the pictures of him now brings back soooooo many incredible moments he had as a Met. Heaven today got a true All-Star and he is looking down doing his final curtain call.
Baseball lost a Hall of Famer and a very classy and sincere guy. My deepest condolences to his family.
Thoughts and prayers go out to his family. He was a great baseball player and a great San Francisco Giant ! RIP Gary.
My condolences go out to the family of Gary Carter. Gary was the final piece of the puzzle for us long suffering NY Met fans during the early 1980’s, which culminated into a world championship in 1986. Gary, thank you for your leadership, enthusiasm, and being the ultimate professional. You will never be forgotten, may you rest in peace. LET”S GO METS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A great man, a great ballplayer, and a great Met. May he walk in green fields forever.
My condolences to the Carter family. I will always remember The Kid’s smile and his warrior achievements. One of my childhood heroes and icon from a great Mets era. A true Met. A winner. A champion. RIP Gary Carter.
God Bless you Gary Carter. I know you are up in heaven and will be instantly made an angel because you were always one to me. Your spirit and your love of baseball and life will always be remembered. I am sadded for the world to lose you in it but I know you go to a better place where you will not be anymore pain. I regretted that I didn’t get to see you manage a Ducks game on Long Island or get to meet you. You will always be my favorite Met and I will always remember your curly hair and your beautiful smile. My prayers go out to your family. I will miss you.
I too was heartbroken when the Expos traded him to the Mets. Attended his first game as a Met and remembered when that ball went over the fence- I didn’t stand up -just in shock. But he played the game and moreso- was a great ambassador for the game in how he carried himself during and after his playing career. Therefore, he is smiling down knowing that his family will resume the grace and character he exhibited while on this earth.
88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 GARY,GARY GARY GARY GARY GARY GARY GARY GARY GARY GARY GARY
I was never a Mets fan, but was a big fan of Gary Carter. I will always remember as a 10 year old boy, watching Game 6, and Carter getting that 2 out single, which started that amazing 10th inning comeback. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Baseball lost a great person today. God Bless
R.I.P. Gary Carter. You were the first athlete I looked up to as a kid. I use to have a bump on my head from the time I was five and decided to pretend to be you and play catcher, despite not having any pads on.
I am so sad to hear of Gary Carters passing. Although he did not know me, I felt as thought I knew him. I loved the NY Mets and some of the happiest times of our family lives started in 1986. We enjoyed going to the games and loved rooting together for our team. Gary was a very important part of this time. I hope his family knows how many lives, how many families he touched. He always seemed like such a good man. He will never be forgotten. Rest in peace Gary. I can’t believe you are gone from us. XO
Monsieur Carter,
Vous étiez avec nos Expos, nos amours !
Merci pour les beaux moments que vous nous avez fait vivre. Votre sourire et votre gentillesse ont vite conquis le coeur des québécois. De magnifiques souvenirs ! Reposez en paix !
I have been a Mets fan my entire life and no one has ever filled my heart as Gary Carter did,i loved Gary and always will,R.I.P. Gary,a Met forever.
Nobody could light up Shea Stadium the way #8 did…all you need to know about Gary Edmund Carter are 2 things…Pro and class….RIP Kid!
I could not hold back the tears when I heard that Gary Carter had passed. It’s so sad. He was a wonderful man with a great big heart. His sincere charm, boundless energy and the super personality of this fine man will be missed by all fans. No one ever again will embody all his traits-his professional attainment, his courage and his true dedication to the game of baseball. Gary brought instant hope and love to the ’86 Mets team. He was their heart and soul. His aquisition was monumental to every Met fan and his contagious smile brought rejoicing to Metsville. He will always be remembered as one of the greatest Met players in the hearts of all his fans. There will never be another player as great as Gary.
First my prayers are with the Carter family during this time…I was 8 years old when the Mets had their great season in 86…Being from the Bronx I was and still am a Yankee fan but that Mets team made you watch them…Gary Carter was one of my favorites on that team during that run…He always played the game having fun and he was a respectable player on and off the field…He will truly be missed…RIP “Kid”
Sincerest condolences to Carter family and to Major League Baseball. A true legend has passed. I happy to say I had the chance to follow Gary’s outstanding carreer. He will not be forgotten.
Respect
That 1986 season was truly something to behold. Thanks for the memories Gary. And may God bring peace to the family, friends, and numerous fans of this wonderful man that we all knew as “The Kid”. RIP #8.
Such a sad day in baseball. I am a die-hard Yankees fan but have always had the greatest respect for Gary Carter. My deepest condolences to his family. We will all remember Gary as a great member of the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, and as one of the most respectable, hard-working baseball players of his time. Rest in peace, Mr. Carter, and thank you for all that you have given to the sport of baseball.
I am a Cardinals fan, but I remember seeing Gary Carter play as a kid and having nothing but respect for him. I am so saddened to see that he has passed at such a young age, and send healing love to family, friends, former teammates, and Mets fans all over. Respect and condolences from STL.
Thanks For The Memories KID…….God’s Baseball Team Got A little Better Today…..RIP Gary Carter #8 The memories you gave me and others in the best time to be a MET fan go down in the history of the game and the history of my life. Thank You So Very Much…………Retire #8
May have an Expo cap in the Hall of Fame, but he will always be ours
Goodbye Gary. I have been a Met fan since 1982, three years prior to his joining the team. He was my favorite Met player growing up. I had a poster of him on my wall, and I had read his book also. When I heard Michael Kay announce his death it was really ironic because Michael Kay is my favorite broadcaster on TV/Radio and Gary Carter was my favorite baseball player. I was driving at the time and I nearly drove off the road and started crying when I heard the news, I feel like I lost a good friend/brother. My sincerest condolences to Sandy, and the Carter children.
My father and I met Gary Carter in Cleveland during the 1997 All-Star game. A class act all the way. After he signed an autograph for me, my father kissed his championship ring. Kid laughed and gave him a hug. One of the best experiences in my life. Rest in Peace brother, a hero not just to Met and Expo fans, but to sports fans around the world.
heart and soul of my ny mets. gritty selfless competitor. a great humanitarian. you will be missed kid!
So sad to hear this news. Gary was my favorite Met of all time. I had the pleasure to meet him several years back at the Mets fantasy camp in Florida. He was even a nicer guy in person. I will remember his great play on the field and of course that contagious smile. RIP Gary…. Looks like heaven just got it’s starting catcher.
“Goodbye, Kid . . .”
I am not the kind of guy who calls sports talk-radio stations, or who centers my life around the trials and tribulations of sports and entertainment “heroes”. I have enough to worry about in my own life.
But having been a baseball fan all of my life, and a Mets fan for most of it, I would be remiss if I did not take some time out to express my great sadness at the tragic passing today of #8, Gary Carter.
Since his overdue election to the Hall of Fame in 2003, that number has never been worn by a Met . . . and may it never be again.
I mostly remember him as the guy who *refused* to lose that World Series a quarter-century ago. The guy whose never-ending heroics in the orange and blue piped uniform culminated when he saw the Shea scoreboard (prematurely) congratulating the Red Sox on their world championship that was never to be.
Two down in the ninth, nobody on, and I’ll bet you dollars to donuts the only person in that stadium who wasn’t drinking the Kool-aid was the Kid.
No doubt thinking “Boston Red Sox . . . world champions? Not yet, you ain’t”, he struck that clean single to left off Calvin Schiraldi, and his unflagging spirit trickled down to Mitchell, Knight, and Wilson after him.
And who knows, maybe some of that karma, that never-say-die attitude, rattled Bob Stanley and Bill Buckner into those lethal gaffes that are now the stuff of New York sports legend.
Yeah all, right, Ray Knight (in the last game he would ever play as a Met) carted home the trophy and the sports car as World Series MVP.
So what? With no disrespect to Ray, the hardware *should* have gone to Carter for touching off one of the most incredible, magical rallies in the history of baseball.
Because without Carter’s inspiration in Game 6, Knight never gets the chance.
“The Kid” was the lone saint on that team of sinners we remember fondly (or otherwise, depending on your allegiance) as the 1986 New York Mets.
But no matter how you remember the team, you could not for one split second doubt Kid’s sincerity or integrity.
He was a God-fearing, devoutly Christian family man, life-loving, clean-living, caring, ebullient . . . and genuine.
He always had a moment, a smile, and a good word for you, whether you were a fan, cabdriver, waiter – or even a reporter.
He never “dissed” a teammate – or an opponent.
He was the man you always wanted at your back when the chips were down, with two down in the ninth and nobody on.
In short, he was a *good* man . . . and the last man on that roster you would expect to die prematurely and in a horrible, debilitating manner.
But, unfairly, he has, leaving us to wonder why Fate plays such malicious tricks on good people. And, typically for him, he retained his faith, good grace and spirit to the last.
Condolences of course to his family. But it doesn’t stop there. The loss is all of ours as well.
In an era where loutish, spoiled, overpaid thugs are lionized for their athletic gifts while they thumb their noses at morality, we would do well to look at this man for an example of a genuine sports hero. He managed, despite the adulation, to be a Hall of Fame caliber *man* as well; and it is a genuine pity that we will probably not see his like again. He is gone far too soon, poignantly proving the truth of this quote from George Orwell:
“A tragic situation exists precisely when virtue does not triumph but when it is still felt that man is nobler than the forces which destroy him.”
Never was this more apt, perhaps, than in the case of Gary Edmund Carter; a noble man who, after 57 years, finally met a fastball he couldn’t turn around . . . the one that killed him.
Rest in peace, Kid. You’re missed and loved more, and by more people, than you will ever know.
Mike – that was great! you said it all. I am sitting here staring at my # 8 jersey with tears in my eyes. The Kid was one of a kind and he will always be remembered by Mets fans. RIP Kid God’s got an all star catcher for heavens home team.
Gary was my all time favorite player going back to the late 70’s. I was an Expos fan because of him. I remember watching the ’81 playoffs against the Dodgers back in high school. I met Gary once back when he was going a local TV store promo. I still have the glove he signed. I shocked all my family and friends when on the day he was traded I told everyone I now was a Mets fan. You were a better person then player and as a player you were a hall of framer. You will truly be missed.
So sad to hear of the inevitable news of number 8’s passing. His contributions as team co-captain and catalyst in the 1986 World Series won’t ever be forgotten. Rest in peace Gary, and thanks for all you’ve done to make this Mets fan happy! Condolences to the Carter family.
Gary Carter has always been one of my favorite Mets. During that special 1986 season, I admired his leadership and spirit. You could always count on “The Kid”.
At the beginning of October 1986, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a blood cancer,. During that uncertain time in my own life, Gary and his teammates provided me with many happy hours of distraction from all that was happening to me. In the past year I often prayed that Gary would be as successful in his battle against cancer as I have been in mine. He was certainly a class act.
Rest in peace, Gary. May your family be comforted in their memories.
I am a staunch Phillies fan, so you might think it strange to hear from me, but I was very saddened to hear of Gary Carter’s passing. I consider the 86 Mets to be one of the greatest teams in MLB history. The moment when Gary ran up to Jesse Orosco became of the great iconic moments in BB history. That WS was one of the finest I ever watched, and I, a Phils fan, was rooting for the Mets. I watched Gary play many times on TV and at the Vet in Philly, and I could tell how that he truly loved the game. He was always full of enthusiasm, and I shall alwasys remember his big smile. I believe that he was a true fan’s player, always playing at his best. He signed a ball for me, and I still have it and shall treasure it. My deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends, and teammates. New York, you have lost a great treasure, and I hope to see his number 8 on the Mets uniform sleeves this year. Thank you, Gary, for being such a great player.
My condolences to the Carter family, I wish I had the chance to enjoy your father as a true model both on and off the field. I may have not experienced your greatness “Kid” , but I bet you where something awesome! RIP Gary Carter
Gary was far more than just a Hall of Fame ballplayer, he was a Hall of Fame person. He was a charitable and kind man who was always willing to take the time to do the right thing for those who were less fortunate then him. I remember fondly an outting to Shea when I was only 8 years old back in 1986. Without any fanfare or any cameras on him he came over to meet me and he gave me his batting practice bat and signed it “Gary, May God bless you, Gary”.
More than anything his faith was irreppressible, and he exemplified living a life in the spotlight the right way.
This is a great loss for the baseball community.
Gary Carter will be missed. Fantastic player and an exceptional person.
We enjoyed his career not only as a Met but as with his other teams as well.
I remember how excited i was when he came to the Mets.
May God Bless him and his family.
Thank you for the memories..
Gary was my favorite Montreal Expos player when I was a kid. I would collect pop bottles to get money to buy baseball cards hoping to get some Expos and wishing for a Gary Carter card. I was lucky enough that my parents took me to many games in the early 80’s to watch Gary play some of the best baseball along with Tim Raines, Andre Dawson, Tim Wallach and Warren Crowmartie. You were my hero Gary, thank you for all that you brought to my childhood. Rest well, and may your family find peace in this sad time. You will be forever missed and always remembered fondly.
I remember the day my brother told me that Gary Carter had been traded to the Mets from the Expos – I couldn’t believe it and actually cried. I used to stand in front of my tv when he was in the batters box and mimicked all of his movements – he had a pattern when he was up to bat. I will never forget my baseball hero, the never ending smile and the impact you had on me as a kid worshipping the Expos. RIP Gary.
My Dad was an Expos fan. Myself, and my brother followed suit. Gary was his favourite Expo. Great player, great man, he will be missed, not forgotten. Especially by my Dad. His one and only bobble-head, “the kid”, proudly sits in his sports/bar room to be remembered.
Rest In peace gary..One Of My favorite All time mets..he was a Great guy..on and off the field….i have too many memories to name just one..he will be missed….loosing a true ledgend hurts all of baseball..not just met fans….gone from this world but never forgotten….
I am so very saddened by the death of Gary Carter. My prayers go out to his family.
The love of God ,family, and baseball will be forever etched in my mind. Enjoy heaven Gary. God will watch over your family.
Thank you for the magnificent MET MEMORIES!!!!!!
Gary “The Kid ” Carter (1954-2012) RIP/QEPD.
Ecce Puere ( Behold The Boy )
Of the dark past
A child is born;
with joy and grief
My heart is torn.
Calm in the cradle
The living lies.
May love and mercy
unclose his eyes!
Young life is breathed
On the glass;
The world that was not
Comes to pass.
A child is sleeping;
An old man gone.
O, father forsaken
Forgive your son!
James Joyce (1936)
I have four memories of Gary Carter that stand out: The 10th inning homerun against the Cardinals in his first game as a /met, Starting the famous 2 out rally in Game 6 of the WS against the Red Sox, the way he handled the Mets pitching staff, and opposing players taking shots at him on close plays at home plate, including shots to the head. His Met teammates NEVER stuck up for him yet Carter never complained. He was a gamer who came to play. My condolences go out to his wife and family. My wife is sick about his death and she doesn’t even follow baseball.
thank you for the playing the way you did we will miss you and so will the game
I am only 13, but i do realize the tragedy of losing one of baseballs greatest. I wished Gary the best, in person, but sadly that wasn’t enough. Gary Carter is, and will always be an inspiration to me. I will always remember one thing. I was getting an autograph at a breakfast in New York, and he refused the people running it to have people pay for the autograph. I love Gary, I am very sad for his passing. Thank you Gary for you leading the New York Mets to a World Series victory! Thank you Gary Carter.
SKIP thank you for everything it was an honor to know you. you will be be deeply missed. I am praying for you and Sandy and the Family I know you will be at every PBA baseball game Love ya KID so long
As a baseball fan and a Mets fan, this is a very sad day. He brought great joy to all Mets fans with what he did in 1986 to help win the World Series. Sometimes with athletes you don’t know what they are like away from the cameras, but he was clearly as great a human being, if not better, than he was a baseball player. And that’s saying a lot being that he’s in the Hall of Fame. I always look forward to Opening Day, knowing that everyone starts at 0-0, and at that point the Mets have the same chance to win the World Series (at least in theory) as everyone else. It’s too bad that Gary couldn’t survive long enough to be around for at least one more Opening Day, but unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be. I hope the Mets will give him the honor he deserves and retire number 8, either on Opening Day (April 5), his birthday (April 8), or during the series against the Nationals (April 9-11). My condolences to the Carter family on your loss.
Gary Carter was my all time favorite Met. He will be sadly missed. Thank you for all the great memories. I will wear my 1986 Carter Jersey with pride. He played his heart out for the team and the fans and my heart pours out to his family. He will be in my prayers. RIP Gary and thank you.
If we can call him “Mr.Expo”, it is Gary Carter.
Available for its fans, the press, for the love of the sport. The real “Natural”. He was the Man for all occasions. Even when he won the World Series in New York, his heart was with Montreal all the way. He proudly wore the Expo cap at the Hall of Fame induction. Number “8” will be remembered forever. Thank you Gary for the memories. A “Kid” forever. RIP !
Been a Mets Fan since 1968. I am deeply saddened by the Loss of “The Kid”. A great competitor who was always enthusiastic and accesible. Never charged for an autograph. A charitable and great man. A class act and role model who should be emulated.