Port St. Lucie, FL – The New York Mets on Monday announced plans to honor late Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter at Opening Day on April 5.
Carter's family -- wife Sandy, daughters Kimmy and Christy, son D.J. and their respective families -- will be part of the pregame ceremony as the Mets take on the Atlanta Braves.
The amiable backstop, nicknamed "Kid" passed away after a long fight with brain cancer on February 16.
"Our family is so honored to be part of the Mets' Opening Day at Citi Field," said Sandy Carter. "It will be an incredible experience for us to celebrate Gary's legacy by having our family throw out the first pitch. The Mets and the fans of New York always had a special place in Gary's heart and that admiration will live on in our hearts for years to come. Thanks to the Wilpon family and the entire Mets organization for making this possible."
Carter came to Flushing in a multi-player trade from the Montreal Expos prior to the 1985 season. He helped lead the 1986 Mets to a championship, batting .276 with two home runs and nine runs batted in against Boston in the World Series.
"We are thrilled that the Carters will be with us," said Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon. "On Opening Day, Mets fans will have the chance to pay their respects and remember all of his accomplishments."
The Culver City, California native was also a noted philanthropist. He founded The Gary Carter Foundation in 2001, which to date has donated $622,000 to charitable causes, mostly focused on elementary school reading programs.
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