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The Kid (Read 622 times)

    Nader, I thought you'd post on this, but if I may......

     

    In 1985 as an 8 year old boy I watched my father suffer a massive heart attack and die on the kitchen floor.  The days weeks months that followed were pretty much what you'd expect for a single mom with 5 boys and almost no income.

     

    Not having a television, we borrowed Aunt Ruth's 13" black and white TV when the 1986 playoffs started.  We, of course, turned down the volume and listened to Bob Murphy on the radio. The whole family, including mom who was in no way a sports fan, crowded around that little TV and took the wild ride through the playoffs to the World Series. We laughed, we cried, we screamed, we held our breath and finally....a thrill like no other.

     

    For a young boy in Queens who had lost his father just a few months earlier the Amazins were, in many ways, the first bright ray of dawn able to pierce the long dark night he was going through.

     

    Sometimes we take sports to seriously, but sometimes it really is more than just a game.

     

    Gary Edmund Carter, #8, you will never be forgotten.

      Nice memory.

       

      He was definitely the class of a generation of all-stars packed with class (and on a Mets team that sorely needed class - or at least a little guidance).

       

      That WS also has good memories for me - my mom and I watched upstairs while my step-dad and brothers (sox fans) watched downstairs. Orosco throws his glove up and I've probably never hugged my mom harder than that (sad, maybe, but true).

      Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and rogues
      We're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes

        That was really, really beautiful, my friend.  Thank you. 

         

        Gary Carter's death was actually the first time I felt sadness over the death of a celebrity.  I was in the car last night and the DJ on KRock said something about it. I immediately shut the radio off and put my hand over my mouth.  

         

        My parents didn't know anything about baseball, but in '86 they let me stay up late we all watched the World Series together.  My mom didn't know many American phrases, so it was funny when Sid Fernandez threw inside to Jim Rice and my mom goes "Ooo! He almost his his bools!" We all laughed.  

         

        Gary Carter lit up my childhood in ways that will never ever go away.  

         

        Memory eternal! 

        "If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus

          Nice memory.

           

          He was definitely the class of a generation of all-stars packed with class (and on a Mets team that sorely needed class - or at least a little guidance).

           

          That WS also has good memories for me - my mom and I watched upstairs while my step-dad and brothers (sox fans) watched downstairs. Orosco throws his glove up and I've probably never hugged my mom harder than that (sad, maybe, but true).

           Ha, when we played ball in the back yard the last guy pitching would always throw his glove in the air! 

           

          YEAH, BABY!

           

          "If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus

            LET'S GO! 

             

            Hey can you do this? 

             

            Dykstra

            Backman

            Hernandez

            Carter

            Strawberry 

            Knight 

            Mitchell 

            Santana 

            Pitcher

            "If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus

              LET'S GO! 

               

              Hey can you do this? 

               

              Dykstra

              Backman

              Hernandez

              Carter

              Strawberry 

              Knight 

              Mitchell 

              Santana 

              Pitcher

               Easier than I can for the 2011 version Wink

              BeeRunB


                As a die hard RedSox fan, your mention of 86 brings up the old pain--just a little--it's been tempered by them finally winning in 2004- and 2007. But I am a baseball fan, and Gary Carter was good player---memorable presence and energy on the field, in a "Pete Rose As A Player" kind of way.  I liked him. Sorry to hear he passed.

                 

                --Jimmy

                bobstrab


                  LET'S GO! 

                   

                  Hey can you do this? 

                   

                  Dykstra

                  Backman

                  Hernandez

                  Carter

                  Strawberry 

                  Knight 

                  Mitchell 

                  Santana 

                  Pitcher

                   

                  Sorry if this comes off as obnoxious (especially since I'm a Phillies fanSmile), but this lineup was never actually used in '86.  The most common lineup(used 7 times) was:

                   

                  Dykstra

                  Backman

                  Hernandez

                  Carter

                  Strawberry 

                  Wilson

                  Knight 

                  Santana 

                  Pitcher

                   

                  As a big baseball fan, it was very counter-intuitive to me to learn how infrequently teams actually use the same lineup, even without considering individual pitchers.  It seems like they're usually putting the same thing out there every day, but there's almost always a minor change in batting order, or someone has a day off, etc...  It usually turns out to be the case that the most frequent lineup is only used 5 or 10 times in a season.  Sorry for the digression... 

                    one of the best.

                     

                     

                     

                     

                      Sorry if this comes off as obnoxious (especially since I'm a Phillies fanSmile), but this lineup was never actually used in '86.  The most common lineup(used 7 times) was:

                       

                      Dykstra

                      Backman

                      Hernandez

                      Carter

                      Strawberry 

                      Wilson

                      Knight 

                      Santana 

                      Pitcher

                       

                      As a big baseball fan, it was very counter-intuitive to me to learn how infrequently teams actually use the same lineup, even without considering individual pitchers.  It seems like they're usually putting the same thing out there every day, but there's almost always a minor change in batting order, or someone has a day off, etc...  It usually turns out to be the case that the most frequent lineup is only used 5 or 10 times in a season.  Sorry for the digression... 

                      I just want to apologize for the my initial desire to grab you by the back of your suspenders and pull upward with great force.  

                       

                      I may have been mistaken in the details, but that was based off my recollection that Wilson and Dykstra platooned in centerfield for a time, both being fast as hell.  It came to a point that Wilson started suggesting they might trade him.  Of course this was not an every day thing, considering that scary collision they had in left-center field, in which Dykstras right arm interlocked with Wilson's left arm, after which their heads smashed together and both were laid out on the ground for way too long. None of this, of course, is in your big book of lineups.   

                      "If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus

                        off topic sorta

                         

                        the 1993 Brewers most common lineup was used 4 times.  I guess nothing worked that year and they proved it. 

                         

                         

                         

                         

                          Sorry if this comes off as obnoxious (especially since I'm a Phillies fanSmile), but this lineup was never actually used in '86.  The most common lineup(used 7 times) was:

                           

                          Dykstra

                          Backman

                          Hernandez

                          Carter

                          Strawberry 

                          Wilson

                          Knight 

                          Santana 

                          Pitcher

                           

                          As a big baseball fan, it was very counter-intuitive to me to learn how infrequently teams actually use the same lineup, even without considering individual pitchers.  It seems like they're usually putting the same thing out there every day, but there's almost always a minor change in batting order, or someone has a day off, etc...  It usually turns out to be the case that the most frequent lineup is only used 5 or 10 times in a season.  Sorry for the digression... 

                           

                          Here's another one from memory. Ralph Kiner on the call: 

                           

                          Ray Knight the winning run is on, we are tied 4-4 bottom of the eleventh inning, based loaded, one away. Tom Hume on in relief. The 2-0 delivery to Teufel ..swung on...That's the ball game!...into deep left* field, that ball is GONE a grand slam home run! Timmy Teufel has hit a grand slam home run and the New York Mets win it 8-4.

                           

                          Oh my goodness, did he ever hit that thing.  Hume was 2 and oh on the batter; he came down the middle with a fastball, and Timmy Teufel hit it over the center* field fence. 

                           

                          ___

                          *yes I know.  That's how it was called, though.

                          "If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus

                            Red Sox and Reds fan here but man that was a pretty good team.  Was Dwight Gooden on that team.?  He Sid and Bob were a nice three headed monster if I remember correctly.  Gary Carter was a class act on a team with a lot of trouble makers. 

                             

                            Well I looked it up to answer my own question.  Wow a whole staff of under 4 ERA.  Pretty amazing. 

                             

                            PlayerGIPWLERASO
                            Ron Darling 34 237.0 15 6 2.81 184
                            Dwight Gooden 33 250.0 17 6 2.84 200
                            Sid Fernandez 33 204.1 16 6 3.52 200
                            Bob Ojeda 32 217.1 18 5 2.57 148
                            Rick Aguilera 28 141.2 10 7 3.88 104

                             

                            Strawberry could play but I still think Eric the Red was better.  1990 was a good time to be a reds fan. 

                            2014 Goals: (Yeah I suck)

                            • Sub 22  5K
                            • Sub 1:35 1/2 marathon 
                            • Sub 3:25:00 Marathon
                            xor


                              Man I wish the Red Sox would have won that year.

                               

                              Not because I'm a Sox fan (far from it) or because I hate the Mets (I could take them or leave them), but because it would have avoided all the years after that of Red Sox fans bemoaning their team.  GAAAAAAAAH.  Shut up, please.

                               

                              Also: blaming poor Bill Buckner as if he was the sole reason you crapped the bed.  That falls into the same sad camp as all the Cubs players and fans blaming Bartman.  No no no.

                               

                              (but blaming Calvin Shiraldi.  Oh yeaaaah.  I'm for that.)

                               

                                1986 was also the year Clemens won the Cy Young and the MVP.  What a year!  How far he has fallen.  Sad really sad.  He was always my favorite baseball player.  It is very interesting that was not even his best year.  Guy could have won two more Cy Youngs as well. 

                                 

                                Anyway, farewell Carter.  May you RIP. 

                                2014 Goals: (Yeah I suck)

                                • Sub 22  5K
                                • Sub 1:35 1/2 marathon 
                                • Sub 3:25:00 Marathon
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