Two organizations honored the memory of Gar Carter this week. First, the Long Island Ducks, an independent baseball team, dedicated their entire 2012 campaign to Carter. Much like the “Magic 8’s” that seemed to surround Johan Santana’s no-hitter, perhaps Carter’s presence surrounding the team helped propel them to the championship, ousting the Lancaster Barnstormers in a winner-take-all Game 5 of the Atlantic League Championship Series. Carter managed the Ducks for the 2009 season. Along with dedicating their championship run to The Kid, they also wore an “8” patch on their sleeve the entire season.
The second dedication to Carter’s Hall of Fame career and philanthropic life will occur in Montreal. On Wednesday, the city announced the details of the renaming of a street and park after Carter. The street that will be renamed boarders Jarry Park, the site where Carter made his Major League debut. There is a park in the north-end Ahuntsic district that will also be named in his honor. The renaming ceremony is scheduled to take place next February on the one year anniversary of Carter’s passing after a battle with brain cancer.