Hearing the grave news the other day on Gary Carter’s condition got me thinking. First and foremost, I took a minute to pray for him. Then, I started reminiscing of the good ole days. If there was a period of time you could choose to be growing up in Montreal, the late 70’s was the time. The Habs were winning championships, so were The Als and of course, John Travolta Saturday Night Fever was ragging in the Montreal club scene. Most importantly for a huge baseball fan, it was the rise of The Expos as a force to be reckoned with in the National League. No longer would we be perennial cellar dwellers of the East Division
.
If you could name an iconic athlete of that era, of course Guy Lafleur would be on the top of most lists. Gary Carter would be the name that would be a close second. The Kid, as he was dubbed by the late Ted Tevan, had the charisma and the talent to match The Flower on the diamond. Gary Carter’s Expos were drawing 2,000,000 fans plus at Olympic Stadium. Charles Bronfman owned the Expos on paper, but make no mistake… it was Gary’s team. Whether it was by throwing out a runner at second base, getting a clutch hit to win a game, running to first base on a walk, Gary did whatever it took to win a game. The day he got traded to the Mets was a sad day, for Gary Carter was a true Hall of Famer and most importantly a Montreal Superstar.
 |
| One of my prized souvenirs of "The Kid" |
