A Fitting Farewell To 'The Kid'

(This was a piece I did back on February 19th, 2012 paying tribute to Gary Carter)

Yesterday, I talked to Montreal hip hop artist Annakin Slayd, and he told me that he was in tears all that morning. Slayd was, and still is a diehard Montreal Expos fan. And hearing about the passing of Expos great Gary Carter, made many eyes well. But it was Slayd who had a special connection with Carter.

In Carter’s last game on September 29th, 1992 at Olympic Stadium, Slayd snuck down from the bleachers, to the dugout. He made a sign that had a drawing of Carter, along with the years he played in the Major Leagues. Six years later, Slayd met Carter and showed him the front page that he made after the game. Carter told him that he had the same picture framed at home. Carter signed it with a smile. I think that infectious smile that Carter had shined more than his electric play behind the plate.

It was a smile and breaking into the Majors at age 18 that got him the nickname “Kid”. Originally splitting time between outfielder and catcher his first two seasons, Carter was given his chance in 1977, after Montreal traded starting catcher Barry Foote, making Carter the starter behind the plate.

In his first year starting at catcher, Carter belted 31 home runs, and 84 RBI’s, becoming the leader of a strong Expos club for many years after.

Carter was an offensive power at his position. He is 6th all time in HR by a catcher (298), an 11-time All-Star, and tied for 3rd in Silver Slugger Awards (5).

Carter also had a knack for defense. He was a three time Gold Glove Award winner, an astounding .991 fielding percentage, and has the most putouts by a catcher in Major League history (11,785).


Carter is known by modern baseball fans for being part of the 1986 World Champion New York Mets. Although the iconic moment of the series was the Bill Buckner gaffe off a Mookie Wilson grounder in the 10th inning, it was in fact Carter who got the rally going with a two out single that cued a three run rally by New York in that inning.

But it was his final at bat in Montreal that cemented his legacy as an all-time great in this beautiful game.

Facing an 0-2 count against Greg Maddux and the Chicago Cubs in the bottom of the 7th in front of 41,802 fans, Carter ripped an RBI double over Andre Dawson’s head in right field, bringing in Larry Walker for the only run of the game. When the camera caught Carter, he still had that infectious smile that he maintained over a long and illustrious 19-year career.

He may not have been the greatest to strap on the leg guards and chest protector, but it was his passion, intensity, and desire to play in spite of injuries that got him inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 2003.

Even though Carter never got to realize his ambition to manage in the Majors, his significant contributions to the game of Baseball, along with his youthful demeanor and thrill for the dramatic, will preserve his legacy forever.

So all I have to say is, Au Revoir Kid. Baseball fans across the world will miss you.

Merci Beaucoup.

R.I.P ‘Kid’ Gary Carter (1954-2012)

P.S Here is a video of “Kid” by Slayd, written and performed the day after Carter passed away.