RIP, Gary Carter

Gary Carter passed away the other day. He was 57; the cause was brain cancer. Gary was no law prawf. He was a baseball player: the catcher for the Montreal Expos and then the Mets. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as an Expo. I grew up in Montreal and in the 70's and 80's and just loved that team. He was "the Kid" while I was a kid. Hanging out in the bleachers of the Olympic Stadium eating cheap hot dogs on a sunny day was a big joy. The Expos never did too well, with only one real chance at the NL title in a strike-torn season. But they had heart and humility; they were a group of people, not performers; and the game was simple, not starry. Gary Carter was a cheerful and earnest guy, full of spirit and private faith. The Expos have long left Montreal. And now one of their pillar players, too, has left. The Montreal press is in mourning. Of course Gary is remembered most for keeping the Mets alive while in the jaws of death in the 1986 World Series. But to me, and many others, he is remembered for playing for fun. Time to pull out that vintage Expos cap. RIP.