Gary Carter
Gary Edmund Carter (born April 8, 1954 in Culver City, California) was one of the top hitting Major League Baseball catchers over his 19 year career. Nicknamed "The Kid", he ranks sixth all-time in career home runs by a catcher with 298 and won the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award twice (in 1981 and 1984).Carter broke into the Majors with the Montreal Expos in 1974 and made the All-Star team in his first full season in 1975, batting .270 with 17 home runs and 68 RBI. As the Expos' catcher until 1984, Carter established himself as one of the premier catchers in the league both defensively and offensively. He won Gold Glove awards in 1980, 1981 and 1982 and regularly threatened the 30 home run and 100 RBI plateaus.
On December 10, 1984, Carter was traded to the New York Mets for four players. He enjoyed consistent production during his first two seasons in New York, knocking in over 100 runs each year and winning his only World Series championship in 1986. He began showing signs of deterioration in 1987, however, when he batted only .235. After the 1989 season, Carter bounced around between ballclubs, eventually retiring after the 1992 season.
Over his career, Carter hit 324 home runs, drove in 1225 runs and batted .262. He appeared in eleven All-Star games (1975, 1979-1988) and won three Gold Gloves.
He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.