Players, friends remember Carter
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA. – More than 1,000 former teammates, family members and friends of Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter paid tribute to him Friday for both his prowess on the field and for the type of man he was away from the ballpark.
Though television screens beamed images of Carter emerging from the dugout, embracing teammates in enveloping hugs and sliding into home plate, those who knew him spoke more of his compassion, his devotion to faith and family and his genuine goodness.
“I’m gonna miss that smile, I’m gonna miss every part of Gary Carter because of the way he was,” said Johnny Bench, another Hall of Fame catcher. “For those who knew him, no words are necessary. For those who didn’t, no words are adequate.”
Carter died Feb. 16 of brain cancer. He was 57.
Tommy Hutton, who played with Carter on the Montreal Expos, remembered his friend’s passion and enthusiasm. His three children drew laughter talking of their father’s obsessive neatness, organizing everything from his locker to the fridge. Tom Mullins, a pastor who befriended Carter, spoke of his competitiveness on everything, even over who recovered from knee surgery faster.
“The way he lived his life is the way that everybody wants to live their life,” former player Bert Blyleven said outside the service.
Carter was an 11-time AllStar and three-time Gold Glove winner. His single in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series helped the Mets mount a charge against the Boston Red Sox and eventually beat them.
Carter played nearly two decades with the Mets, Expos, Giants and Dodgers. He led the Expos to their only playoff berth and was the first player enshrined in Cooperstown wearing an Expos cap.
In his final days, Mullins said, Carter could no longer speak. His family and friends drew near. And though words were elusive, he still managed to flash a smile.