Over the weekend, the New York Mets honored Darryl Strawberry by retiring his No. 18 jersey. Once upon a time in Queens, the outfielder known as “Straw” was once of the most feared hitters in baseball. He was also an important part of that 1986 World Series championship team.
However, while listening to the Mets radio broadcast, one of the announcers brought up a good point. The Mets have yet to retire the No. 8 jersey, which was wore by Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter.
The No. 8 jersey has not been issued since Carter was inducted into Cooperstown in 2003. Yet, it’s still hasn’t been officially retired by the organization. “The Kid” played with the Mets from 1985 to 1989 and is in the Mets Hall of Fame.
Carter, considered one of the best catchers in history, also played an important part of that ’86 team. He hit two home runs in the Game win 4 in Boston against the Red Sox and started the two-out rally in the tenth inning of the miraculous Game 6 comeback. Carter also had an eighth-inning sacrifice fly that tied the game. He finished the series hitting .276 with two homers and nine RBI’s in the seven game series.
While Carter may be more associated with the Montreal Expos, he was a beloved figure in Queens during his days with the Mets. His impact is still felt with fans who remember the ’86 team.
Carter passed away in 2012 from brain cancer. There may be no better honor left for The Kid than to have the No. 8 retired and immortalized in Mets history forever.
Off The Bench 