NEW YORK – Even though the final choice rests with the Hall of Fame, Gary Carter knows which hat he'd prefer to put on his plaque in Cooperstown. "I'll stand by whatever they decide, but there's something special about New York," Carter told The Journal News of Westchester, N.Y., on Thursday. "There's no question, I consider myself a Met."

The 11-time All-Star catcher was elected to the Hall of Tuesday and will be inducted in July. Though Carter spent 11 of his 19 major-league seasons with Montreal, he helped the Mets win the 1986 World Series and now works for the team as an instructor. No player in the Hall has had an Expos cap on his plaque, and Carter was considered one of the most popular players in Montreal history.

But the Expos' future is in doubt, and that's thrown doubt into Carter's mind. "What if the Expos are no longer in existence after this year? What good does that do me?" he said. "I hope the Hall of Fame will understand where I'm coming from."

Carter was at the Mets' minicamp at their spring training site in Port St. Lucie, Fla., earlier this week. He will work 12 to 15 days a month during the season for the Mets, helping with minor-league catchers, and hopes to manage in the organization by the 2004 season. Carter has talked about his future with Mets general manager Steve Phillips.

"That's the next step for me," he said. "I think I could offer a lot as a manager, and the Mets want me to be involved in that way. I'm anxious to get back on the field."

Copyright 2003 Associated Press.