Remembering Gary Carter

When I think of Gary Carter, one can’t help but remember all the big hits he got in the 1986 post season as the Mets won the World Series. I was working in the broadcast booth for ABC Sports in game 5 of the NLCS  (Mets vs Houston) and the game went into extra innings. A graphic revealed the longest NLCS game to that point was the Reds (2-1) win vs the Mets in game 4 of the 1973 NLCS.  I told the people Pete Rose’s home run won that game and the note was cited on air. That game went 12 innings. Soon after, Carter lined a hit to win Game 5 for the Mets also in the 12th inning.

In the World Series against the Red Sox, Carter had a big home run in game 4 to help the Mets even the series. In game 6, Carter batted in the bottom of the 8th inning, the bases were loaded and the Red Sox were ahead 3 to 2 in both the game and the series. The count was 3 balls, no strikes, when Carter swung and hit a sacrifice fly to left field. He batted next with the Red Sox ahead (5-3) and one out away from their first World Series win in 68 years. It was the bottom of the 10th inning and no one was on base. He singled to start the incredible 3 run rally that gave the Mets a 6-5 win. I know 50,000 people were there and 5 million claim they were there but I was at Shea Stadium that night.

Now, Carter is gone, the Mets have not won a Title since, and I question my “intensity” that October 25, 1986. Yet it remains one of the most incredible events I ever witnessed.

Gary Carter