Gary Carter was a Hall of Fame catcher for several teams, most notably the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets. In this card Gary is wearing #57, but he would later be given the number 8 which he wore for the rest of his career. He was a national champion in Punt, Pass, and Kick in 1961. Carter was drafted by the Expos in 1972. Gary played in the minors from 1972-1974. He had a brief stint in Montreal at the end of the 1974 season and batted .407 in 27 at bats.
Carter had a very good rookie season in 1975 and finised second to John Montefusco in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Gary batted .270 with 17 HR and 68 RBI. He represented the Expos in the All Star Game and played left field as a late inning defensive replacement.
Gary had a difficult second season in 1976. He had a broken finger that limited his effectiveness. He batted .219 in 97 games as he split time between the outfield and catcher.
Carter put it all together in 1977 and batted .284 with 30 HR and 84 RBI in 154 games. In each season from 1977 through 1988 (except the 1981 strike year) Carter played in 130 or more games. Gary batted .255 with 20 HR and 72 RBI in 1978.
In 1979 Gary made the NL All Star team (he was 1 for 2 with an RBI). He would be an All-Star each year from 1979 to 1988. Carter batted .283 with 22 HR and 75 RBI in 1979. He batted .264 with 29 HR and 101 RBI in 1980. He won his first Gold Glove and was second in NL MVP voting in 1980.
Carter had sort of an off-year in the only season (1981) that the Expos made the playoffs during his time there. Gary batted .251 with 16 HR and 68 RBI in '81. Carter hit two home runs in the 1981 All Star Game and was named the game's MVP. He won his second Gold Glove and his first Silver Slugger in '81. Gary had a great run in the playoffs. He batted .421 with 2 HR in five games in the NLDS and batted .438 in five games in the NLCS.
Gary Carter: The No. 1 Catcher in the Majors - May 1981 Baseball Digest.
Gary won his third (and last) Gold Glove in 1982. He batted .293 with 29 HR and 97 RBI and won another Silver Slugger award. Carter batted .270 with 17 HR and 79 RBI in 1983.
Carter's last season in Montreal was in 1984. Gary homered in the 1984 All Star Game and got his second All Star MVP Award. He won the Silver Slugger, led the NL with 106 RBI, and batted .294 with 27 home runs. After the 1984 season Gary was traded to the New York Mets for Hubie Brooks, Mike Fitzgerald, Herm Winningham and Floyd Youmans.
Gary batted .281 with 32 HR and 100 RBI and won another Silver Slugger for his new ballclub in 1985. In 1986 he won his last Silver Slugger and was third behind Mike Schmidt and Glenn Davis. Carter batted .255 with 24 HR and 105 RBI during the regular season. He batted only .148 in the NLCS but batted .276 with 2 HR in the World Series as the Mets beat the Boston Red Sox in seven games.
Gary Carter Has Paid His Dues; He May Be Pennant-Bound at Last - September 1986 Baseball Digest.
The Game I'll Never Forget - July 1991 Baseball Digest.
In 1987 Gary was 33 years old and his production started to wane a little. He batted .235 with 20 HR and 83 RBI in 1987. In 1988, his last season as a regular catcher, Gary batted .242 with 11 HR and 46 RBI. Carter played in all seven games of the 1988 NLDS and batted .242.
Carter missed about 10 weeks of the 1989 season with an injury. He played in only 50 games and batted .183 with 2 HR. The Mets released Carter after the 1989 season.
Gary Carter: He's Not Conceding to Age, Yet! - April 1989 Baseball Digest.
Gary signed with the San Francisco Giants. He was a backup catcher for the Giants and batted .254 with 9 HR in 92 games. Carter became a free agent after the 1990 season and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He backed up at catcher again in 1991 and batted .245 with 6 HR in 101 games. The Dodgers waived Carter after the 1991 season and he signed with the Expos. Gary batted .218 in 95 games with the Expos in 1992 and retired after the season.
Gary Carter Finished his Noteworthy Career on His Own Terms - March 1993 Baseball Digest.
After his playing career Carter was an analyst on Florida Marlins broadcasts from 1993-1996. He managed in the Mets organization from 2005-2008, managed an independent league ballclub in 2009, and is now the head coach at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Carter was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2003.
Gary Carter and Eddie Murray Elected to Cooperstown - April 2003 Baseball Digest.
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- Liked to face: Steve Carlton (.309 with 11 HR in 110 AB); Jim Rooker (.438 with 5 HR in 16 AB); Craig Swan (.397 in 58 AB)
Hated to face: Dennis Martinez (.071 in 28 AB); Tom Griffin (.080 in 25 AB); Rick Sutcliffe (.125 in 40 AB)
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