Rest in peace. Remembering Greg Carter and the 1986 World Series

by Ambler Brown 

I've never been to a World Series, but I got close once. I was in New York in October 1986 when catcher Greg Carter was one of several Mets heroes of game six. Down 3-2 on the scoreboard that night, with Boston up 3-2 in the series, Carter hit an eighth-inning sacrifice fly that tied the game.

Boston came back to take a 5-4 lead in the 10th inning. In his next at bat with two outs, Carter reached on a single that brought the tying run to the plate. The rally that followed gave the Mets a come-from-behind win that forced game seven. New York's winning run scored on a single by Mookie Wilson, a ground ball that went through Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner's legs. The game is still considered one of the greatest comeback wins in World Series history.

I was staying with a friend at East Hampton, Long Island the Saturday night it all started, with game one at Shea Stadium. My friend John Riddell had season tickets and loved the Mets. He had put his name in the lottery and received two tickets each for game one and game seven, if the series went that far. He took his wife to game one. Can't fault John for that.

I went to a restaurant that night with my traveling companion Tim Cooper. Tim and I watched game one on television. The next day we drove into "The City", right past Shea and marveled at the excitement and drama that we knew would unfold over the next few days. The Mets were playing Boston and the Red Sox had won the night before. Would the Mets come back and win or get swept, as most sports prognosticators were predicting? Only time would tell.

It was an odd series. The home team lost the first four games. Boston won game five at Fenway Park to go up 3-2 in the series. Games six and seven were back at Shea Stadium, with New York the winner of both games and the Series title. John and his wife were there for game seven to see the Mets crowned World Champions.

I had another connection to this series, from the Boston side, which I didn't learn about until I returned home. A couple of close friends had attended one of the games in Boston, Aubrey Harwell being the guest of George Gillett, to help George celebrate his birthday. At the time George owned WSMV-TV Channel 4 in Nashville. I had introduced them to one another through our mutual efforts to raise money for the Boy Scouts. Aubrey is a distinguished Nashville attorney and George had engaged him to help with some legal stuff.

Aubrey was like a little boy telling me with great glee about flying to Logan International Airport in George's private jet along with some other Nashville businessmen. Aubrey said the group was whisked over to Fenway Park in a limousine and rode an elevator up to sky boxes, where they walked in and sat down in Commissioner of Baseball Peter Ueberroth's private box to watch the game. I would have been excited too. What a great way to enjoy your birthday!

I learned last night that Greg Carter had passed away from brain cancer at the age of 57. Rest in peace Greg. You were one of my heroes of the baseball diamond not so very long ago.