Dave Van Horne: Ranks top 5 Expo Hall of Famers - Gary Carter
We asked broadcaster Dave Van Horne, honoured with the Ford C. Frick award in Cooperstown in 2011 to pick the top five Montreal Expos who reside in Cooperstown. Van Horne was the lead play-by-play broadcaster opening day 1969 ... and it stayed that way for 32 years.
A Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. Van Horne now works Miami Marlins games as he has since 2001. Van Horne was named the 1996 Jack Graney award winner and in 2014 was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys.
Vlad Guerrero ... is rated No. 5 of the Expos in Cooperstown
And the No. 1 all-time best Montreal Expo in Cooperstown is ... Gary Carter
By Dave Van Horne
Even before he was called up to the big leagues in the fall of 1974, “The Kid” made himself known. His reputation preceded him. He was a tough, very athletic player with a football mentality and a wonderful personality to go with it. He worked hard every day and quickly became a leader and a student of the game. He was a catcher, but saw some innings at first base, third base and the outfield. It didn’t take long for the Expos to see that The Kid, and not Barry Foote, would be their catcher.
His “catch and throw” skills, were refined in the minor leagues by Clyde McCullough a former Major League catcher who had become a very good minor league manager and coach. Gary’s first major league manager was Gene Mauch, who started referring to Gary as “The Kid,” whenever he was asked about his progress in the minors.
Gary’s rise in the minors was rapid and just a little more than 300 games. He was a vocal leader and loved to talk baseball with his teammates and anyone else, fans, baseball media, the mailman and those kids who worked in clubhouses from coast to coast. Gene was asked if that was an issue in regards to the Carter kid. He said, “it’s easier to tone down a vocal leader, than it is to turn up the energy level of those who don’t possess the drive and determination necessary at this level. I’m not at all worried about The Kid.”
By the time his rookie year was over, he was an All Star and in my opinion, should have been the NL Rookie of the Year. He finished second by three votes. The start of a Hall of Fame career had begun. He did suffer setbacks. Because the Expos delayed the Barry Foote decision, Kid was sent to the outfield for games in 1975 and 1976.
This was a bad decision. Kid crashed into the brick wall in a spring game in Winter Haven, Fla., broke a rib running into the short fence in Jarry Park and playing in right field, collided with Pepe Mangual, injured his thumb and was lost for a month. It took all of that for the front office to determine the Kid belonged behind the plate and Barry Foote was finally traded. The rest, as they say, is history.
He led the Expos through their most successful years. He conducted all the pitcher meetings pre-game; he was the best catcher in baseball physically and mentally. The kid was a great ambassador for the game, in Canada and across the United States. He was THE stand up guy, win or lose, the media found him ready and accommodating.
He spoke for the team, in season and in the off-season. He was the Face of the Franchise and on the Expos Mount Rushmore of Baseball, which he proudly shared with Andre Dawson, Tim Raines and Steve Rogers in those years from 1975 to 1984.
In my years with the Expos, 32 years precisely. I was privileged to see many wonderful, talented players including future Hall of Famers, Andre Dawson, Tim Raines, Pedro Martinez and Vlad Guerrero.
However, while I consider all of them to be the best, most exciting, gifted players with HOF credentials, THE KID ranks No. 1 with me.
