Carter Was Quite a Catch

Once again the world of sports has suffered a loss. More particularly the world of baseball lost not only one of the best players it has ever had, but one of the class individuals as well.

Just look at what everyone says about what an exemplary human being Gary "The Kid" Carter, here are a few excerpts:

Former Mets teammate Darryl Strawberry: “I wish I could have lived my life like Gary Carter. … He was a true man. … I have always respected him.”

Tom Seaver: “Nobody enjoyed playing the game of baseball more than Gary Carter. He wore his heart on his sleeve every inning he played.”

Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk: "We had a lot in common, from family to our profession. He endured a lot as a catcher, as did I. And making it to the Hall of Fame was over the top for Gary, as it has been for me. We knew each other for more than 30 years, he meant a lot to me. I'm crushed by his passing."

He was truly an inspirational human being, the catalyst of the 1986 World Series that crushed our beloved Beantown 9 and the ultimate family man. While many ballplayers enjoy the night life (some a little too much) Gary Carter was a guy that was quoted as saying, "I wish I could take my wife on the road." His youthful exuberance drew the ire of many teammates but his refreshing spirit is something baseball needs more of and his passing is an epic tragedy.

With Gary Carter's tragic passing, it got me thinking where he ranks all-time as a Catcher. For me, Gary Carter is a Top 5 catcher of all-time. I am very particular about my catchers which is first and foremost a defensive position. If you are not a defensive-minded catcher I have no use for you (I'm looking at you Jarrod Saltalamacchia). Defensively he is Top 5 and he was the rare blend of excellent offense from a defensive position which makes him one of the 5 Best Catchers in the history of Major League baseball.


The list goes like this:


1) Yogi Berra
2) Johnny Bench
3) Carlton Fisk
4) Ivan Rodriguez
5) Gary Carter

Yogi Berra is pretty clearly the class of the elite here, Essentially throwing out every other runner having very few pass balls, having the highest OBP and SLG%.

Johnny Bench is the most powerful, and was the leader of the Big Red Machine and according to
Hall of Fame manager Dick Williams was the Best Catcher in the 70s.

Fisk didn't lead in any of the major categories categories but was a cornerstone catcher for the Boston Red Sox and his longevity and consistency were models of excellence when looking at backstops.

Ivan Rodriguez is probably the best all-around offensive catcher here. Despite steroid allegations, Rodriguez is the best catcher that I've seen in my lifetime. He will be the first catcher in history to have 3000 hits and should be a first ballot Hall of Famer when his playing career is over.

Gary Carter only tied for first in one category but was second in a few others. Jim Leyland once said, "One of the reasons the Mets have the best pitching in the game is Carter," Leyland said. "Get a runner on third, and every one of those guys knows that he can throw his best breaking ball without fear, with conviction. They know that no matter where that pitch goes, Carter will block it and the runner at third won't score. High Praise.

All in all Gary Carter is one of the Top 5 players to ever play the position of catcher and that's something any baseball fan and player would like to hang their mitt on.

Rest in Peace The Kid, and I hope that you are greeted with open arms in the big Field of Dreams in the sky.

Stay Tuned

Norton