Author: Shannon Shark @metspolice

I often start the first post of the day with “Good Morning!” but there’s nothing good about our first morning without Gary Carter.

I thought the blog would be all Carter for a few days but the Mets being the Mets there’s always things to talk about. Thus, Mets Police will be mostly Carter with a few other things sprinkled in, and some of the other things I wanted to share with you can wait until next week.

The passing of Gary re-ignited the debate about retiring 8. I think that would be a terrible move now. The Mets had 20 years to retire it, so why retire it now when Gary can’t be there? Let 8 stay on the hanger next to 24, and if somewhere along the way the right player can live up to the number then let 8 be worn with pride.

I do expect the Mets will wear a patch. Since the black jerseys have a patch on both shoulders it complicates matters. I could imagine something in the area of the heart. Maybe its as simple as a black armband.

I broke out a black Mets jersey today (New York road) I got on eBay. The only 86 style jersey I have says Seaver on it, and black is the color folks wear when we mourn. I don’t wear bright orange ties to funerals.

This post started out to 100% be about something else, but I see I just ripped off 5 paragraphs about Carter. I’ll do the other thing in the next post. More Carter as the day and weekend go on.

TOM SEAVER: “No one loved the game of baseball more than Gary Carter. No one enjoyed playing the game of baseball more than Gary Carter. He wore his heart on his sleeve every inning he played. He gave you 110 percent and played the most grueling position on the field and that was something special.”

MOOKIE WILSON: “The one thing I remember about Gary was his smile. He loved life and loved to play the game of baseball.”

GENERAL MANGER FRANK CASHEN: “The genesis of the trade was that we wanted to add a big bat to the lineup. He did that right away, but perhaps more importantly was the way he handled our young pitchers. He was the perfect guy for so many reasons.”

MANAGER DAVEY JOHNSON: “Gary was a one-man scouting system. What people didn’t know was that he kept an individual book on every batter in the National League. He was the ideal catcher for our young pitching staff.”

DARRYL STRAWBERRY: “What he added to the team was character. His approach to the game was contagious. It spread to the rest of us. He helped each of us understand what it took to win.”

DWIGHT GOODEN: “I relied on Gary for everything when I was on the mound including location, what pitch to throw and when. Even when I didn’t have my best stuff, he found a way to get me through the game. He was just a warrior on the field.”

WALLY BACKMAN: “He was like a big brother to me. I always went to him for advice. No matter what time of day it was, he always had time for you.”

TIM TEUFEL: “The baseball community has lost a Hall of Fame player and a Hall of Fame person. He was a good man and will be missed terribly.”

Continue reading “Gary Carter”