PSA BatFacts™

Gary Carter bats are amongst the most affordable bats on the entire Hall of Fame list. While he used more than one bat brand during his career, Carter preferred H&B (Louisville Slugger) bats. Most Carter gamers are found with his uniform number (8) on the knob in black marker. Keep in mind that Carter did wear the number "57" for a very brief period of time in 1974. Carter played in a mere nine games that year. Early examples will occasionally exhibit a criss-cross taping pattern along the handle area, which is somewhat similar to the taping pattern seen on Duke Snider bats. Carter was also known for applying modest amounts of pine tar to his bats during his career. Playing in three different decades, Carter gamers from the 1970s are much tougher to find than ones used post-1980. Nevertheless, some collectors prefer bats from his New York Mets days (1985-1989) since he was a part of the fabled 1986 championship team.

Gary Edmund Carter (April 8, 1954-) was converted from shortstop to catcher in the minor leagues by the Montreal Expos, which proved to be an excellent decision, as he would win three Gold Gloves at the position. Carter possesses an extraordinary .991 fielding percentage with 11,785 putouts and 810 caught stealing. The Kid played 19 seasons in the National League for the Montreal Expos (1974-1984, 1992), the New York Mets (1985-1989) and one-year stints with the Giants (1990) and Dodgers (1991). Carter was an 11-time All-Star selection, and won two All-Star MVP awards (1981, 1984). In the 1981 Mid-Summer Classic, Carter became the 5^th player in history to hit two home runs in an All-Star game. Gary was a key component to the 1986 World Series champion New York Mets squad that won 108 during the regular season. Carter’s 10^th -inning single began the rally against the Red Sox in Game 6. His prowess at the plate was evident by his five Silver Slugger Awards. Gary Carter retired with a .262 career batting average, adding 2,92 hits, 1,025 runs, 1,225 RBI and 324 home runs. Gary Edmund Carter was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.