The Feast of Carter the World Series Hero

Today, Joe Carter was in our thoughts. And so, tonight, we resurrect, as we are prone to do, our celebrated feast-days series.

Carter the World Series Hero

Life: Joe Carter was, for the most part, an average baseball player. He hit a lot of home runs. Year in and year out, he was good for 30 dingers, a hundred ribbies, and a hundred strikeouts — give or take a few. Once upon a time, he even stole bases. In my youth, had I known anything about on-base percentage, I would have likely hated Joe Carter. I would have gladly taken the home runs, and the RBIs, especially on those deeper Toronto Blue Jays clubs, but I wouldn’t have been too happy about it. Yet I remember Carter most fondly. Everyone in Toronto does. Because of one catch, one walk-off home run, and two jumps for joy.

Spiritual Exercise: Joe Carter ended back-to-back World Series a winner. Literally. Ask yourself: Would you rather have a Hall of Fame career, and never win a title? Or would you rather be slightly above average, with power, and hit a walk-off home run to win the World Series?

A Prayer for Joe Carter

Joe Carter!
You’re one of the
lucky ones.
So many are remembered by the
sum total of their numbers.
Not you.

Why?
Why the hell did Otis Nixon
bunt?
He gave away the final bloody out.

I’ll never forget the way you hopped
to the mound, after you made the catch.
And then leapt!
Eyes closed,
into Pat Borders’ arms.
I’d never jumped so high,
either.
Until a year later.

You were 0-for-4
lifetime
when you stepped into the box
to face Mitch Williams.
Wild Thing.
You finished 1-for-5.
“Touch ’em all Joe,
you’ll never hit a bigger home run in your life.”
I haven’t jumped as high,
since.

Joe Carter!
Your stats and
your legacy
are two different things.

Thanks for
the memories.
They’re two of the best
ones
I’ve got.
I wish I’d been old enough to get drunk.

Image courtesy the Toronto Star. I think. I can’t remember.