Books and articles about Joe Carter

The exclamation point on Carter's fine career was his three-run, ninth-inning homer off the Phillies' Mitch Williams that gave the Blue Jays their second straight World Series victory in 1993. After Bill Mazeroski's blast in 1960, it was only the second Series-ending homer in baseball history. His gleeful romp around the bases amid the Skydome pandemonium capped one of the most dramatic moments of the decade.

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At Wichita State, Carter was The Sporting News's 1981 College Player of the Year, and the Cubs, choosing second, made him their number-one draft pick that June after Seattle selected Mike Moore. Carter played briefly in Chicago before going to Cleveland in a major seven-player deal for Rick Sutcliffe in June 1984.

A disappointment at first, he struggled with injuries until 1986, when he broke out with a .302 average, 29 homers, and a major-league-leading 121 RBIs. Sporting one of the best physiques in baseball and a happy-go-lucky disposition, he had the best offensive year by an Indian in decades but missed the 30-30 club by one homer and one stolen base.

He did reach 30-30 the following year, overcoming a salary dispute in spring training and constant shifting between the outfield and first base. When Brett Butler signed with the Giants in 1988, Carter took over center field.

The responsibility seemed to charge Carter's hitting, but his days were numbered in Cleveland. After setting a career high with 35 homers in 1989, he was sent to San Diego in a blockbuster deal for Sandy Alomar Jr., Chris James and Carlos Baerga. Following his first and only full NL season, in which he hit 24 homers and knocked in 115 runs for the Padres, Carter was packed in another blockbuster deal, this time with an Alomar brother (Roberto). The pair was sent to the Blue Jays for Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez.

Back in the AL, Carter put together three straight 30-homer, 100-RBI seasons, leading the Blue Jays into the postseason all three years and to world titles in 1992 and '93. The latter Series, of course, was capped off by Carter's famous three-run Series-winning clout in Game Six.

In 1994, Carter became just the tenth player in major league history to hit 300 home runs and steal 200 bases. He slowed down a bit on the basepaths in 1994, but was more careful. He was 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts, and stretched the consecutive streak to 23 in 1995 before being caught in late June. In 1996, he returned to the 30-homer, 100-RBI club with 30-106 after sub-par power seasons.

After playing most of his career in the outfield, Carter spent equal time at first base and as DH in 1997, and drove in 102 runs in the process, although his average slumped to .234. Carter annoyed club management by wearing ousted manager Cito Gaston's #43 for the last few games of the season, and he didn't return to the club in 1998. Instead, Carter spent his last year in the majors as a reserve with the Orioles and Giants.

In 1999, he and Gaston joined Dave Stieb and George Bell as honorees in the Blue Jays' "level of excellence." Carter had finished his Jays career as the franchise's all-time leader in home runs. (ME/SW/JGR)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » June 8, 1981: The Seattle Mariners take Oral Roberts University righthander Mike Moore with the first pick overall in the annual amateur draft. The Cubs take Wichita State's Joe Carter with the 2nd pick while the Angels take Dick Schofield, son of a former major leaguer, with the 3rd pick. The Mets take Terry Blocker with the 4th and Toronto takes Matt Williams with the #5. San Diego selects Kevin McReynolds with #6 and use their 3rd round pick to take San Diego State outfielder Tony Gwynn. Later in the day the San Diego Clippers will select Gwynn in the 10th round of the NBA draft. The Yankees use their first round pick to take Stanford QB John Elway while the Ranger pick Yale's Ron Darling with #9. Darling is the 4th Ivy Leaguer to be picked in the 1st round. The Braves fare worst in the draft as their #1 pick Jay Roberts will never hit above .208 in the minors, and no other picks make it to the bigs. » June 13, 1984: In a deal that will pay off in the short run with an NL East Championship, the Cubs trade outfielders Mel Hall and Joe Carter and minor leaguer Darryl Banks to the Indians for P George Frazier, C Ron Hassey, and P Rick Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe will go 16–1 for the Cubs the rest of the season and win the NL Cy Young Award. Because Cubs GM Dallas Green neglected to renew waivers on Hall and Carter, the status of the trade is in doubt for a while, and the two will not play for a week. » May 25, 1986: At Cleveland, Pat Tabler is at bat for Toronto when pitcher John Cerutti picks Joe Carter off 1B unassisted. Cerutti beats Carter back to the bag. This same play occurred last month in an A's-Twins game. » August 29, 1986: Cleveland's Joe Carter belts three home runs and singles twice as the Indians beat the Red Sox 7–3 at Fenway Park. » May 28, 1987: Cleveland's Joe Carter hits three home runs in a game in Boston's Fenway Park for the 2nd time in his career, but the Indians fall to the Red Sox 12–8. » September 16, 1987: Cleveland's Joe Carter joins the 30-30 club, stealing his 30th base of the season in a 5–3 loss to Seattle. » April 22, 1988: Cory Snyder and Joe Carter hit grand slams to power the Indians to a 11–6 win over the Twins. Twins P Bert Blyleven hits a ML record-tying four Cleveland batsmen before departing. » June 24, 1989: Cleveland's Joe Carter hits three home runs in a game for the 3rd time in his career as the Indians beat Texas 7–3. Rangers Charlie Hough and Kenny Rogers combine to allow just six hits—all homers. » July 19, 1989: Cleveland's Joe Carter hits three home runs in a game for the 2nd time this season in a 10–1 win over Minnesota. It is his 4th career 3-HR game, tying Lou Gehrig's American League record, and also gives him a ML-record-tying five homers in two games. Carter knocks home six runs in the game. » December 6, 1989: The Mets trade reliever Randy Myers to the Reds for fellow closer John Franco; Joe Carter and Fred Lynn are sent by Cleveland to San Diego for Sandy Alomar, Carlos Baerga. and Chris James; and free-agent relief specialist Jeff Reardon signs with the Red Sox. » December 5, 1990: In a major trade, the Blue Jays send 1B Fred McGriff and veteran SS Tony Fernandez to San Diego for 2B Roberto Alomar and slugging OF Joe Carter. » April 23, 1991: In the top of the 6th at Fenway, the Jays John Olerud is at bat when Sox pitcher Roger Clemens catches Joe Carter napping and picks off the baserunner unassisted at 1B. Carter was caught by pitcher John Cerutti the same way in 1986. » September 13, 1991: Toronto OF Joe Carter drives in a run in the Blue Jays' 7-6 victory over the A's, becoming the 1st player in history to reach the 100 plateau in three consecutive seasons with three different teams. Nine players (Dick Allen, Orlando Cepeda, Rocky Colavito, Goose Goslin, Rogers Hornsby, Reggie Jackson, Lee May, Al Simmons, and Vic Wertz) have collected 100 RBI with three teams, but none consecutively. » September 27, 1992: At Yankee Stadium, Jack Morris wins his 20th of the year, going six innings in a 12–2 blowout over the 4th place Yanks. Toronto scores nine runs off Scott Sanderson, who leaves in the 2nd inning. Joe Carter paces the 19-hit attack with four hits. The Jays maintain a two 1/2 game lead in the East over Milwaukee. » October 14, 1992: The Blue Jays win the ALCS with a 9–2 victory over Oakland, becoming the 1st Canadian team to advance to the World Series. Joe Carter and Candy Maldonado bash home runs for Toronto while Juan Guzman gets the win. » October 17, 1992: C Damon Berryhill hits a 3-run home run in the 6th inning to give the Braves a 3–1 victory in Game one of the World Series. The pitching matchup of Tom Glavine and Jack Morris is the 1st time that a pair of 20–game winners starts the opening game of a World Series since 1969. Glavine goes all the way for the win, while Joe Carter homers for the only Toronto run. » October 20, 1992: The Blue Jays take the World Series lead with a 3–2 win over Atlanta on Candy Maldonado's bases–loaded single in the 9th inning. Duane Ward gets credit for the victory in relief of Juan Guzman, and Joe Carter and Kelly Gruber homer for Toronto. In the 4th inning, Blue Jays' OF Devon White's sensational catch nearly results in a triple play. Atlanta OF Deion Sanders was ruled safe on the play, but replays show he should have been the 3rd out. Braves manager is ejected from the game in the 9th, becoming the 1st manager to be thrown out of a Series game since 1985. By starting in RF, Toronto's Carter becomes the 1st player to start the 1st three games of a World Series at three different positions. He started Game One at 1B and Game Two in LF. » August 23, 1993: Toronto OF Joe Carter slugs three home runs in the Blue Jays' 9-8 loss to the Indians. It is the 5th time in his career that he has homered three times in a game, setting an American League record. » October 3, 1993: Toronto's Joe Carter connect twice for homers in the 2nd inning. For the first time in 100 years, teammates finish 1-2-3 in the race for the league batting title. Toronto's John Olerud wins the crown with an average of .363, followed by Paul Molitor at .332 and Roberto Alomar at .326. » October 23, 1993: In a dramatic finish, Joe Carter of the Blue Jays homers off of Mitch Williams with 2 men on base in the bottom of the 9th to give Toronto an 8-6 victory and the World Championship. Lenny Dykstra hits his 4th homer of the Series for the Phils. Paul Molitor is named the WS MVP. » April 27, 1994: Toronto OF Joe Carter sets an new major league record by driving home his 30th run of April with a 1st-inning single in the Blue Jays' 11-3 loss to Texas. Carter will finish the month with 31. » July 14, 1994: Whoops. Blue Jay outfielder Joe Carter appears with his uniform spelling "Torotno". The uniform maker Wilson is to blame. » August 6, 1994: Detroit defeats Toronto, 3-2, as Blue Jay OF Joe Carter steals second base in the 4th inning. In doing so, he becomes just the 10th player in history to amass 300 home runs and 200 SBs. » July 25, 1996: Mark McGwire clouts his 37th homer into the 5th deck at Toronto's Skydome, just the 2nd player to reach there. The 488-foot drive off Huck Flener lands four rows up from where Jose Canseco hit one in the 1989 playoff. The A's still lose the game to the Jays, 4–3 when Joe Carter hits a dramatic 2-run 2-out homer in the bottom of the 9th. McGwire will hit his 38th tomorrow in an A's win. » July 27, 1996: In Toronto, Joe Carter becomes the 3rd player to hit a homer into the upper level at the SkyDome, a 3-run shot that carries 483 feet. Geronimo Berroa and Matt Stairs homer for the A's, the 23rd straight game the A's have collected a homer run. But the Jays beat the A's, 6–4. » December 20, 1996: The Blue Jays send 1B John Olerud and his $5 million contract to the Mets for pitcher Robert Person. The move leaves 1B open for Joe Carter. » December 11, 1997: The Orioles sign free agent P Doug Drabek and tomorrow sign free agent OF Joe Carter. » April 15, 1998: In a 5–3 loss to the visiting Mariners, the Indians David Bell hits the 1st inside-the-park home run in Jacobs Field history and the 1st for the Indians since July 18, 1989 (Joe Carter). Randy Johnson and Kenny Lofton are both ejected after the two argue about inside pitches. » July 23, 1998: Following the Giants 2–11 mark since the All–Star break, San Francisco picks up Joe Carter from Baltimore and Jose Mesa, Al Morman, and Shawon Dunston from the Indians. The Giants send Steve Reed (1.48 ERA in 50 appearances) and minor leaguer Jacob Cruz to Cleveland, and Darin Blood to Baltimore. The Giants receive cash in both swaps. » September 23, 1998: The Giants (86–72) stay close with a 4–1 win over the Pirates. Joe Carter's three–run homer helps Mark Gardner (13–5) win his 5th straight. Gardner strikes out 11 in eight innings.