Gary Carter Biography

Gary Edmund Carter was an American professional baseball catcher whose 19-year Major League Baseball career was spent primarily with the Montreal Expos and New York Mets. Carter earned 11 All-Star selections and played on the 1986 World Series-winning Mets team. Carter was known throughout his career for his hitting, excellent defense, ability to handle pitchers and on-field leadership. After leaving the major leagues, Carter coached baseball at the college and minor-league levels. Carter won the seven-year-old division in the inaugural national Punt Pass and Kick competition in 1961 alongside four other boys. Carter chose to join the Montreal Expos following their selection of him in the third round with the 53rd overall pick in the 1972 MLB draft despite accepting a football scholarship offer from UCLA. Carter earned his nickname of the Kid during his first spring training camp with the Expos in 1974.