As a baseball player, Gary "the Kid" Carter had forged a stellar 19-year résumé with the Montreal Expos, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, and Los Angeles Dodgers that placed him at the pinnacle of his profession--election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.
By the time he retired, he had been selected for the All-Star team 11 times, been awarded three Gold Glove for defense, finished in the top 10 in National League Most Valuable Player voting five times, was fourth on the all-time list for home runs by a catcher, and held the major league record for catchers in putouts and chances accepted. Clearly, longevity and durability were hallmarks of Carter's career.
In 1992 Gary Carter found himself at a crossroads: finished with one career, ready to start another. His baseball nickname was "Kid," and when his playing days were over, he felt like a kid, with so much life still to live and so much energy and experience to offer. But baseball was all he had ever known.
Carter has tried his hand at broadcasting, coaching, and managing in the minor leagues, all with an eye toward returning to the major leagues as a manager. Along the way, Carter learned valuable lessons.
In his new book, Still a Kid at Heart, written with longtime New York baseball writer Phil Pepe, Carter writes of his love for the game, the personalities on and off the field that enriched his life, the years since his retirement, and his experiences with the '86 Mets. He serves as an example for all professional athletes who face the dilemma of what to do after the cheering has subsided. He also gives readers insights into the game from the unique perspective of a catcher and shares amusing anecdotes from his playing days in this revealing and intimate portrayal of his life as a ballplayer and beyond.
An irresistibly upbeat personality, Carter talks eagerly and optimistically about his future, the state of the game, and much more, making it easy to see why he's still a kid at heart.
