On This Date in Sports December 10, 1984: A Mets Blockbuster
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
The New York Mets make a big splash at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, acquiring All-Star Catcher Gary Carter from the Montreal Expos. The Mets were coming off their first winning season in seven years and looking to become a World Series contender, while the Expos after a disappointing season were looking to retool. The Mets sent Hubie Brooks, Floyd Youmans, Mike Fitzgerald, and Herm Winningham in return.
After seven straight losing seasons, in which they lost 90 or would have lost 90 in a full season, the New York Mets turned things around in 1984. Led by the spark or Rookie Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry in his second season, and the leadership of Keith Hernandez, the Mets finished 90-72. The Mets had challenged the Chicago Cubs most of the season but faded late, as they clearly needed one more big piece to take the next step.
The Montreal Expos were going in the opposite direction, as the 1984 season was a tremendous disappointment as they finished with a losing record for the first time since 1978, ending a five-year stretch where they challenged for the Eastern Division. After finishing in fourth place with a record of 78-83, the Expos were forced to reevaluate. Gary Carter led the National League with 106 RBI in 1984 and won the All-Star Game MVP for the second time. Carter was the face of the organization but was now 30 and seeking a new contract. Unwilling to meet Carter’s salary demands, the Expos went to the Winter Meetings looking to trade the face of their franchise.
When the Mets and Expos began discussing a trade, Montreal General Manager Maury Cook had requested Mookie Wilson be included in the deal. However, the Mets balked at parting with their popular centerfielder. As the details of the deal were ironed out, Mets GM Frank Cashen paid a visit to Gary Carter in West Palm Beach to get his feelings on the deal, as he had the right to refuse any deal as a 5 and 10 player, who had ten years in the league and five on one team.
The deal was consummated in the stairwell of the Opryland Hotel. The players the Mets sent back to Montreal were headlined by Hubie Brooks, who was coming off a career season that saw him set a Mets franchise record with a 24-game hitting streak. The Expos also received Catcher Mike Fitzgerald, who spent most of the season starting for New York as a rookie. In addition, they received prospects Herm Winningham, a speedy outfielder, and Floyd Youmans, a young pitcher who played with Dwight Gooden in High School.
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In his first game with the Mets, Gary Carter excited fans by hitting a walk-off home run on Opening Day against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets would fall just short in 1985, winning 98 games as Carter hit a career-best 32 home runs. In 1986, the Mets won the World Series, with Gary Carter’s two-out single starting the miracle rally in Game 6 of the World Series.