Remembering Rico Carty

Oh to have a skill and for such to be hitting a baseball, one so far from my lane/pay grade, but ’twas endowed to Rico Carty, who died days back at the age of 85.

The New York Times obituary of Carty written by Victor Mather: “Through the injuries and the setbacks, one thing was always true: When he was healthy, Carty could hit a baseball.”

Asked by Forbes in 2019 about the faster pitching in the modern game, Carty replied: “You think Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Dick Allen, Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda couldn’t hit this pitching?

“I’d kill it.”

That in many ways sums it up, humbled, I will skip my defense of Rico, in matters involving conflicts including his reacting to racial epithets from Atlanta’s “finest” (some are, but many, including those who uttered such are not). Guess I did “react.”

I add .366 for a batting title and part of the ’69 Braves “Wild Wild West” legit 1/4 div. crown.

Finally a past post “Oh could Rico Carty hit!!”

Note what the truly great, personable, but “Yankees (’41-’96) if not longer in his heart,” Phil Rizzuto said. Somewhere, perhaps, as they recall that after Carty’s homer and Phil’s “oh can he hit” praise, the Yankees were still up 1 run, Phil might admit he would not have been so happy to praise Rico, if that HR tied or won the tilt.

See the post, one of three before this, I “sent,” regarding the great hitter, Rico Carty, below.

Oh Could Rico Carty Hit! on December 30, 2018

Left to right, Willie Mays, “Doggy,” the great Tony Perez, who shamefully was denied “Hall” entry far too long and Rico Carty.