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 
My deepest sympathies to the Carter family…lost my dad two years ago so I know the pain you are going through but with faith we know your dad is in a better place and at peace.
Gary was always “my idol” – refered to as Gary My Idol Carter. At a game at Shea back in 86, I was having my picture taken with those cardboard cutouts of Gary and Dwight Gooden…being much younger at the time, I was, shall we say,
“Hugging” Gary. I had the honor of talking to him on the radio and relaying this story to him…being the gentleman he was I believe he was a bit embarassed by the story. A year later, I met him at a Long Island Duck game and told him about talking to him on the radio and he said “OH THAT WAS YOU” and laughed that wonderful laugh of his. He asked the umpire if he would take a picture of us and just as he was ready to take it, Gary whispered in my ear “NOW DON’T GROPE ME AGAIN!”
Needless to say we both have huge grins on our faces in the picture.
He was a true gentleman and unlike a lot of sports figures and other celebrities, he lived his life in the best way and was an inspiration to many…just look at ALL these postings and know how much he was loved…I know he and my dad are up there talking basebal…thank you Gary and thank you Carter family for sharing him with us!
xo
What a beautiful post Maureen!! This brought tears to my eyes. I also lost my Dad two years ago today so I’m doubly sad today. Hopefully the 3 of them met…..
I am sure they are together…my dad was a huge Yankees fan but with me being the BIGGEST Gary fan in the world, he respected what a class act he was! Think of the good times!
We will miss his ready smile and the enthusiasm Gary brought to the game and will always be grateful for his contributions to the Mets winning the 1986 World Series.
RIP Gary. It was a pleasure to have seen you play in NY. I enjoyed seeing you get your ring on Opening Day in 1987. You were the best! Your love for the game will be greatly missed.
So I’m not the one to ever glorify a celebrity or sports figure life more so when they pass away, so I won’t do it now either. But to me personally, the passing of Gary Carter is very sad. This is the first figure from my youth that I have lost. When I think about “The Kid”, it evokes a myriad of memories. 1986 was a great time to be a Mets fan. It takes me back to when my family was still a family. My sister was born that October. My dad, my Grandfather and I would all talk about the Mets. We all loved Carter (even though Dykstra was my favorite). He just played the game the right way. Lived life the right way. That 86 Mets team gave my house a reason to be happy again after losing my aunt and my Grandma a few months prior. They made the hurt go away for a little bit. We all equate things in our life with events that happen in the world around us. Without Carter wanting to be in those “big” situations, without him believing in himself and his teammates, maybe the 86 Mets would have added to the hurt that was going on in our house at the time. But he rose up to the challenges and for that, I am grateful to have gotten to see him play and thankful that he helped us get thru some very tough times. Now as I get older, my grandfather isn’t around to complain about how bad the Mets are, watching my Dad get older, it just puts life into perspective. He died at such a young age, with a family. Live life. Enjoy every day with your loved ones. Be thankful for the air that you breathe. RIP Gary!
hey to me gary carter is was and always will be the type of player that took nothing for granted and always put fans first before even his own family ok and was the reason for the mets wining the world series in 1986 and help defeat the redsox and bring the champion ship to ny and make me not only a huge but a really long time and really loyal fan ok and for that u gary carter will be missed by me and all mets fans all over the world
The very definition of a role model. Gary, thank you for making baseball the magical game it was in the eyes of so many kids during your time in the bigs. A very sad day indeed.
Heavens baseball teams got a catcher now …
Bob Murphy loved the kid. He use to comment that he did things “with a trace of mustard”. I caught my only foul ball by Gary. He use to hit these super high foul balls and I was superproud to tell people I got mine from Mr. Carter. God bless you Gary and your family. Thanks for making so many people happy.
The City of New York and the world of baseball has lost an icon. I was so saddened to hear of the loss of Gary Carter. He has provided so many positive memories for me as a teenager growing up in Queens…, memories of how positive a place the City could be and how he and a small group of men can bring such joy to so many. I’ll always have the memories of you “Kid”! Thanks for making growing up in New York in the mid ’80’s fun and exciting.
I have been a Met fan all my life. Ironically, I had just been thinking of Gary just a day before he past. I thought, Gary Carter won’t make it out of 2012. Then the news.
Gary was the ultimate human being. A man of faith, a competitor, a roll model, a supporter, a great athlete, a champion. Someone wrote, “I bet Gary Carter received a standing ovation at the Gates of Heaven”. I bet he did; he deserved it.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven: Matthew 5:1 1-2.
We will miss you kid. I hope I’ll have the honor to meet you someday.
I love you Gary Carter. You were one of my ’86 heros and played like a baseball player should play. You are in a better place now for sure. Thanks for the awesome memories you made for me as a teenager growing up in the ’80s. God bless your wife and kids.
Thank You Gary Carter!! A leader and gamer.
NY METS- Please have a Gary Carter Night and retire his number 8.
My hero, as a man and not just a baseball player, has not left us. He will be with us for eternity.
Bless you, Gary. We’ll miss you until we are blessed to be with you again. Bless the Carter family.
RIP Gary Carter…Thanks for helping make the Mets Amazin’
Gary Carter was an outstanding baseball player, but most of all an outstanding person. He has been my all time favorite player. I will always remember a poem that he recited in an interview he gave years before his retirement.
“To have my name inscribed up there, is better yet by far
Than all the halls of fame down here, and every man made star.
This crowd on earth they soon forget the heros of the past
They cheer like mad until you’re gone and that’s how long you last.
I tell you friend I would not trade my name however small
If written there beyond the stars in that celestial hall.
For any famous name on earth and glory that they share
I’d rather be an unknown here, and have my name up there.”
Gary, I’m sure you were happy to be inducted into baseballs hall of fame, but I know you’re much happier today, because you’re in the celestial halls of heaven.
Thanks for all the memories! You will never be forgotten.
My condolences to the Carter family. May God bless you all.
Le plaisir de jouer au baseball…un sourire légendaire…un amour inconditionnel de son équipe, de sa ville et des Québécois…un immense respect des partisans et tout un joueur de baseball. Merci pour toutes ces années le Kid !
Growing up in Queens in the 80s, Mets games were everpresent in our home, with Bob Murphy’s broadcasts filtering through our apartment. My first game was 1988, when I was seven years old, and there were still members of the 86 greats present on the team. Sitting in the red section of Good ol’ Shea, taking in the vista below, I just fell in love with the whole team. But there was something about Gary, about his smile, his energy, that as a kid I could totally relate to. I was so happy a few years back when I found a Carter t-shirt sold at Citi Field, as I’d been searching a while, and I saw him play at Cooperstown back in 2010 on Father’s Day weekend. I’ll always have a special place for him in my Mets fan heart. Godspeed, Gary, and keep on shining.
It is a sad day for me and all Mets fans. I was saddened months ago when I learned that Gary Carter had cancer and even more saddened now. I can’t add much to what I’ve heard others say. Simply put, Gary Carter was a great Met; one of the greatest ever. He always was a great representative for the franchise on and off the field.
Watching the Mets has always given me so much enjoyment, so to lose such an important member from the best era of Mets baseball is sad. The Mets were not only the best team in baseball during Gary Carter’s Mets years, but the most fun to follow and it wouldn’t have happened without him. He is the only Hall of Famer from the ’86 Championship team. I remember the excitement when the Mets acquired him before the 1985 season, because it said to everybody that Mets were about to move from an up and coming team to the one of the best in the game.
From hitting a walk-off home run in his first game as a Met, through his World Series heroics to his Hall of Fame induction, he was a great Met.
We lost one of the top 5 catchers to ever play the game. He was a role model that a kid could be proud of.
RIP “Kid”. Thanks for all the wonderful memories.
A great loss, not only to the baseball community, but also to mankind. Another kindred spirit taken by this malicious disease. Sincerest condolences to Mr. Carter’s wife and entire family as Gary’s passing touches a lot of people. Gary Carter was a role model for us all, growing up and watching the game we wish we could play like the Kid could. HIs enthusiasm and smile will be missed…but having lost a dad myself to this wretched disease, I know that they are always watching down on us – so they are never really gone. May you rest in peace, Gary.
Very nicely said, Irene
Sometimes life isn’t fair. Why should someone so full of life be robbed of it at such an early age. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Carter family.
Gary Carter was a great Met and a great man. He has provided many fond memories for all Met fans. He showed great respect for the game and the fans. There will never be another Gary Carter. Rest in Peace Gary, you will be missed but never forgotten.
It saddens me today with the passing of the Kid. While I knew it seemed like this was going to happen from the news of more tumors, it still make me very very sad. Anyone who loves the game of baseball, and for me the Mets there will always be that single with 2 outs in game six of the 86 series, there will always be opening day 1985 and we will never forget the huge smile and the curtain calss (which were deserved) He played this game the way it is supposed to be played. Give it all you got each and every day. Kid you are already missed! God bless.
My condolences to Gary’s wife and family. I grew up in Montreal and got to see him play for the Expos at Olympic Stadium on numerous occasions. He was great player and more importantly an even greater person.
Gary’s life is a shining example for young ballplayers and for all of us. The world is a sadder place without the Kid. God bless you, Gary.
Remembering Gary’s smile will ease the pain. Thank you Mrs. Carter and family in sharing such a special man with us. God bless you.
Simply….KID, Thanks for the memories and for being a class act. Rest in Peace Gary, you will be missed. God Bless the Carter Family.
To my Idol, the man who made me a METS fan. Rest easy now Kid, you will always be missed.
Gary Carter will always be a hero in our eyes. He was the best player and the most wonderful human. I thank God he found Jesus. Even though we will all miss him and grieve for him, we will someday see him again. His family will always have an empty place in their lives just as his fans will. We will always remember him with love and admiration.
Sad. The reason I like baseball was Gary Carter. RIP Kid.
My prayers go out to Sandy, Christy, Kimmie and DJ and your extended family on the loss of a great man. Gary was a class-act. I am a life-long Mets fan and will never forget the moments he made us proud. #8 SHOULD have been retired last year and unfortunately wasn’t.
Rest in peace Gary,you put up a great fight. You made many people proud. Heaven got another angel….
Gary,
You lived your life well and were a shining example to others. You were admired as a person, athelete, and celebrity. “The Kid” played his game to the fullest extent of his talents and was a true leader. RIP, Kid 8.
I hail from Philadelphia but am a tried & true Mets fan-but more importantly a Gary Carter fan. We lived in central NJ in the 80’s and my son grew up with great admiration for Gary Carter. He was a true athlete, sportsman and gentleman. I remember writing him a letter asking for an autographed photo for my son and wastruly surprised when he sent a photo along with a note for my son. My sympathy to his family and all the fans who loved him.
Toutes mes condoléances à la famille Carter. Gary a été l’idole de tous les petits gars du Québec pendant longtemps. Adieu!
Gary, I grew up as a young boy in Montreal watching your every catch as you played with the Expos. Very very sad to hear the news. You will never be forgotten by fans and more importantly by your family!
Here’s to the “Kid” # 8. RIP
I was always excited to get a Gary Carter baseball card when I was collecting them. Even as a Phillies fan. Rest easy now Gary.
Back in 1985, I had the opportunity to “meet the Mets” at Shea. Everyone was kind but Gary Carter was actually friendly. He put his arm around a very nervouse fan and made me feel comfortable with him and the other players that day. I was truly impressed with his kindness and of course that famous smile. Rest in Peace, Gary Carter. You will be missed.
Gary – you will always be my favorite NY Met! 🙂 Your smile lit up the field. You are a great ballplayer but more importantly, a wonderful man. You will be missed. Peace to you – watch over your family, friends and all of us. We know you are in heaven where you belong!
R.I.P. Gary
Merci pour tout ce que tu as apporté aux partisans de Montréal,
Ton sourire va demeurer à jamais gravé dans ma mémoire.
Mes condoléances à toute ta famille.
Very Sad. I, and all Mets Fans were hioping and praying for a full recovery. Best wishes to the entire Carter Family, and Thank You for sharing him with us all thees years, and the great memories we have of him we will never forget.
I’ve met Gary Carter numerous times in my life and even though they were mostly brief encounters, he treated my wife and I like life long friends. He was a great man, a caring man, a religious man, and a gentleman. I have a picture hanging on my wall of the both of us. I’m wearing his World Series ring and he has a bigger smile on his face than I do on mine. He will be deeply missed by all he touched in his short time here on earth. We will pray for you “Kid”. Please do the same for us.
I was saddened to hear of Gary’s death driving home from work. I am a life-long Mets fan and have so many wonderful memories of him. He was a class-act in all ways.
Kimmie – my heart breaks for you, your sister, brother, Mom and your extended family. I lost my Dad two years ago today and hope he meets yours today. God bless..Heaven has another angel
Gary was more than a baseball player, he was a role model, an inspiration and a great man. We were lucky to have the opportunity to share a part of his life and will sorely miss him. I will always hold him up to my four sons as someone to emulate. God bless you Gary and may you rest in peace.
Gary Carter was one of the best, you don’t see athletes like him anymore, his smile could light up the whole stadium and his enthusiasm and leadership were unequaled. My sympathy and prayers to the Carter family.
All I can say is thanks for the memories and the way you always handled yourself. Heaven just got an upgrade! God bless to the entire Carter family. He will ALWAYS be THE Mets catcher!!!!
This is hard to take. Too young. Too much of an inspiration.
Love you and will miss your spirit. You were an ispiration to all. Not only did baseball lose a great man but the world did as well. Be at peace Gary. Jaonne and shea
Gary Carter was Baseball.I wish half the players today were as dedicated to playing like you were Gary.Today its all about money.You were one of the Greats for sure and you will be very missed.I know your playing on Gods Team now.God Bless you Gary and your wonderful family.You have given me great memories.
My condolences go out to the Carter family and the extended baseball family. Gary was a great player who always worked hard and showed so much joy in all that he did on and off the field. His great faith carried him and his family through this and God will take care of them now. Thanks , Kid for all the great memories.