Hall of Famer Gary Carater says he'll feel his late parents at his side at the induction. Before he finally was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on 7 January 2003, Gary Carter made no secret of his frustrations over falling short in the previous five annual votes. But while Carter would eagerly share his views with the media over hall-voting politics, the Palm Beach Gardens resident never exploited a personal reason for why he wanted an earlier induction.

Carter could quickly fire off his statistics, his 11 All-Star games, his leadership with the 1986 World Champion New York Mets. But he never lamented the fact that his mother died of leukemia when he was 12, forcing his father to raise Gary and his older brother, Gordie. On 7 January, minutes after learning he was the newest Hall of Fame member, Carter's first phone call was to 83-year-old James Haggard Carter in Fullerton, California. "I remember how proud and excited he was," Carter said Saturday, recalling the emotional conversation with his father. "I remember hearing the crackle of his voice, and 17 days later he was gone."

Jim Carter died in the early morning of 25 January after a long battle with osteoporosis, arthritis and emphysema. Gary Carter insists he holds no grudges that his dad won't be there on 27 July for his induction ceremony in Cooperstown, New York. What's more important, Carter says, is that he was able to be with his father for his final moments. The retired catcher was supposed to be the guest of honor at a surprise party last month at Gatsby's in West Palm Beach to celebrate his Hall of Fame election. But a day earlier, the party was cancelled when he learned his dad's condition had worsened. Carter flew to the California hospital where his father was on life support.

"I think, and I'm going to believe, he knows I was with him," Carter said of the bedside vigil that began around noon on 24 January. "I took his hand and I just cried and told him how much I loved him," he said. "From 6:15 to 9:15, we prayed with him. I kept saying, 'Dad, if you can hear us, squeeze our hands.' There wasn't a reaction right away but soon after that he'd kind of squint. I didn't know if it was pain or a reaction but I try to believe he knew we were there."

Carter will get another reminder of his father's legacy Monday when he plays host to the 17th Annual Gary Carter Sweet 'N Low Golf Classic at PGA National to raise money for charities, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. "My dad played both roles," Carter said, referring to Jim having to be mother and father to the two Carter boys. "I certainly have to give him a great deal of credit. He was there for the Little League and Pony League, and my brother was very influential, too. I could have gone the other way, I could have gotten into trouble and in with the bad crowds, but the influence of both of them and staying with sports was invaluable."

The Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will be particularly emotional. Carter is going in with Eddie Murray, who got news of his election as he was headed to his sister's funeral. "Those six years it took me to get to the Hall of Fame, I'm going to savour it and enjoy it," Carter said, "but I'm not going to hold anything against anyone that my dad's not there. Because when I'm up there at the podium, my dad will be on one shoulder and mom on the other shoulder. They're going to be right there with me."

Joe Capozzi – The Palm Beach Post

Special to Canadian Baseball News – 2 February 2003