As most of you know, the man nicknamed "The Kid", Gary Carter passed away Thursday, February 16th 2012 at the young age 57. He died of brain cancer, the same disease that took my first supervisor who brought me to the United States. Carter's passing affected me in two important ways: he died due to a disease I especially despise and he was one of my first sports related memories.
Gary Carter was a kid at heart in a sport for grown-up kids. He started with the Montreal Expos in 1976 (I was born in 1975). He got his nickname from the veterans on the team who remarked that his enthusiasm was "like a kid". I was not a huge baseball fan but one of my first memories is this guy with curly hair who is always smiling and fist pumping over simple plays. He genuinely seem to have fun and didn't hold back his emotions. He embraced Montreal, even though he was a California kid. He tried his best to learn French and even spoke in French at times to reporters and journalists.
He loved Montreal. He would be at any fan outreach, he would speak for the team at many functions and he enjoyed the culture. He brought Montreal to their only post-season games. He got the biggest ovation at the All-Star Game in 1982 (played in Montreal) but he appeared humble. Oh, sure, he never met a mic he didn't like but he just enjoyed talking I think.
When he was traded to the Mets in 1984, I was upset. I sure hoped that Fitzgerald, Brooks and the others that we got in return for Carter would produce, but it created my deep hatred for the Mets. I felt he had betrayed Montreal, that he sold out. Little did I know that most Expos stars would follow suit until the demise of the team in 2004 at the hands of MLB and Bud "I hate Montreal" Selig. I pulled against the Mets any chance I got.
Which brings me to 1986. I became a Boston Red Sox fan that year. I was rooting against the Mets, sure, but after the Buckner blunder, I started having lots of sympathy for the Red Sox. This is way before I came to live in Boston. So I guess I have been a Red Sox fan for over 25 years....Thanks to who? Gary Carter. I think this is when I realized how polarized you can be for people. I always loved Gary in Montreal but hated him so much when he went to the Mets. I was even angrier that he helped him get a World Series.
I loss site of Carter after he left the Mets but so remember his last run with the Expos. As it turns out, I was going to attend school not far from the Big O. And I had a friend who worked at the gift shop. I also was dating a girl who's father got us tickets from his work a few times. I didn't see in person Carter's last hit as an Expo but I do remember the call by Elliot Price on that night: "Over the head of Dawson". I didn't know it was going to be his last hit but it felt special. And seeing the replay on CFCF that night gave me chills.
I was so thrilled to hear about his Hall of Fame nomination. We kind of all knew in Montreal that Bud "I am a jackass" Selig and MLB was going to move the team so this was maybe our only chance to see an Expo go to the Hill while there was still a team in Montreal. All that talk about him maybe going in as a Met? It was just Americans being Americans...Self-Centered in their view of everything, including baseball. The Kid elevated baseball, not only in Montreal, but in Canada. He deserved the Hall not only for his numbers but also contribution to the sport of baseball.
My heart sank last year when I heard about his brain cancer diagnosis. Brain cancer took away the boss who recruited me to the US. Now it was going to take my boyhood baseball hero. Cancer has been a disease I have despised since it took my Godmother when I was 12 or so. She had never smoked a cigarette in her life. I think the same could be said for the Kid and my former boss.
So this passing of Gary hurt me twice. Losing a boyhood hero and losing him to a disease that makes me angry and sad at the same time. Cancer has threaten friends and clients. A former friend survived it. My current boss survived it. My colleague also beat it....Twice....My client died from it last year. I saw her on her last day. I worried about Gary and wondering how long he would live. He died to me a hero...a boyhood idol...a big hearthed man...a human being who made me believe...Cancer did not beat him...Cancer only makes me really appreciate the living...the survivors...
R.I.P. Gary Carter...You will live in my memory forever.
