Gary Carter Dies at 57; MLB Hall of Famer Remembered for Christian Faith
'I Wish I Could've Lived My Life Like Him,' Said Darryl Strawberry
Gary Carter, the Hall of Fame baseball catcher, has died at only 57 years old. He was remembered not only for his All-Star attitude, but his faith on and off the field.
Gary Carter, who many called "The Kid" because of his ineffable smile and approach to life, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in May of 2011, and had been battling the disease ever since. Carter died Thursday Feb. 16, in a West Palm Beach, Fla. area hospice.
"I am deeply saddened to tell you all that my precious dad went to be with Jesus today at 4:10 p.m.," wrote his daughter, Kimmy Bloemers, on the private family website. "This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to write in my entire life but I wanted you all to know."
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Carter, in his 21-year career, earned the title of All-Star 11 times, and won the World Series championship with the New York Mets in 1986. From 1974 to 1992, Carter played with several teams, including the Montreal Expos and Los Angeles Dodgers. He retired in 1992.
After working as an MLB analyst, baseball manager, and coach, Carter was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.
Although "nobody loved the game of baseball more than Gary Carter," Mets Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver told The Associated Press, many remember him for his attitude off the field- and his faith.
"Kid never swore, never. He'd say 'Gosh darn and 'Jeez.' Because of his religious beliefs, he never swore- and that was rare on that team," Ron Darling, a former Mets teammate of Carter's, told ESPN.
Bob Klapisch, a columnist for The Record, remembered Carter's Christian faith keeping him away from the darker parts of MLB fame.
"Mostly, Kid stood out because his moral scaffolding kept him drug and alcohol free. … You never found Carter exploring his darker angels. He was faithful to his wife, Sandy, and unlike some of the other married Mets, didn't have girlfriends on the side. … He chose to turn the other cheek," wrote Klapisch.
Darryl Strawberry, who played with Carter and struggled with drug addiction in the later parts of his career, reacted simply to news of the Hall of Famer's death.
"I wish I could've lived my life like him," he told Klapisch.
"The Boy Scout in him never faded," wrote Marty Noble at MLB.com.
Carter leaves behind him The Gary Carter Foundation, which hopes to "better the physical, mental and spiritual well being of children," according to the website. So far, they have given $622,000 towards charity, $366,000 of it for Florida elementary schools' reading programs.
Gary Carter leaves in mourning his wife, Sandy, three children, Christy Kimmy, and D.J., three grandchildren, and many fans.
