Gary Carter passed away 4 years ago today, and it only seemed fitting that we honor his NY Mets career by giving him his own Top 10. Even though his stint with the Mets was not the longest in the franchise’s history, Carter left a legacy that is revered to this very day and he is only second to Mike Piazza when it comes to conversations about the greatest catcher to ever wear a Mets uniform.
None the less, his contribution to the Mets will forever be remembered and this list is only a small sample of how important he was to the fans and the city of New York.
#10 · August 29, 1988
Gary Carter was not only an amazing defensive catcher, but he helped mold the young Mets pitching staff into greatness. It can be argued that Dwight Gooden never wins the Cy Young in 1985 without Gary Carter behind the dish. David Cone was no exception. On this date in 1988, David Cone struck out 8 in a complete game shutout with Carter calling the game from behind the plate.
#9 · October 9, 1988
Though the Dodgers won game 4 of the NLCS by a score of 5-4 in 12 innings, Gary Carter hit his only career postseason triple in the game and added an RBI to his career totals. The Dodgers were able to steal the win by having the luxury of bringing in Orel Hershiser to pitch in relief to nail down the win that tied the series at two games a piece. The Mets would eventually lose the series 4-3.
#8 · April 11, 1986
Gary Carter drove in 5 runs on 3 hits, including a home run in the very first inning, leading the Mets to a 9-7 win in Philadelphia against the Phillies. He would eventually hit 24 home runs for the season to go along with 125 hits and 105 RBIs. A few days later the Mets would begin an 11-game winning streak, setting the tone for the 1986 season.
#7 · July 11, 1986
Gary Carter became only the fourth Met in franchise history to drive in 7 or more runs in a single game. He hit a three run homer in the first and a grand slam in the second to lad the Mets to a victory against the Braves by a score of 11-0. At the time, Dave Kingman had driven in more with 8, but Carlos Delgado has the all-time Mets record with 9 against the Yankees in 2008.
#6 · September 3, 1985
On this date, Gary Carter hits three home runs in San Diego against the Padres, driving in 6 runs and leading the Mets to an 8-3 win. Carter became only the fifth player in Mets history to perform this feat. After that win, the Mets were just a game behind St. Louis for the division lead. The legend of Gary Carter was off to a great start in his first season as a Met.
#5 · August 11, 1988
1988 was not a banner year for Gary Carter, but it did mark the season in which he hit his 300th home run. On this date, It had been almost two months since Gary hit his 299th career home run, but at Chicago’s Wrigley Field he would reach this benchmark. The Mets would win the game by a score of 9-6 scoring 5 runs in the ninth inning. Carter’s homer, his 9th of the season, was a solo shot to left field.
# 4 · October 25, 1986
Gary Carter refused to make the last out of the World Series. With two out against the future hall of famer, Carter lined a single to left that ignited the greatest comeback in baseball history. Kevin Mitchell and Ray Knight both followed with base hits scoring Carter to make it a one run game. Bob Stanley’s wild pitch and Bill Buckner’s error completed the comeback, sending the series to game 7.
# 3 · October 22, 1986
The Mets trailed the Red Sox 2 games to 1 in the 1986 World Series, and losing Game 4 was not an option. Gary Carter played a major role in their victory against the Sox by hitting two towering home runs over Fenway’s famed green monster leading the way to a 6-2 victory and a 2-2 tie in the World Series. Winning both games in Fenway would set the table for a best of three that would live forever in Mets lore.
#2 · October 14, 1986
With game 5 of the NLCS tied at one against Houston, Carter would come to bat in the bottom of the 12th with Wally Backman on second and Keith Hernandez on first. He would give the Mets a walk-off win by singling up the middle against Charlie Kerfeld, allowing Backman to score from second and giving the Mets 2-1 victory, as well as a 3-2 series lead.
#1 · April 9, 1985
There are only a handful of memorable debuts in baseball history, and Gary Carter’s first in a Mets uniform would be one of the more memorable. Carter would win the game for his new ball club with a walk-off home run in the 10th inning against former Met Neil Allen. The blast would land in the left field bullpen, and be the first of many for Carter while playing in Queens.