Born in 1960: Joe Carter

As my first real post for my "irregular special feature" called, Born in 1960, I wanted to highlight a Chicago Cub so here goes . . .

Joe Carter . . . ok, I know he really was not a Cub for very long; albeit only 23 games but nonetheless a Rated Rookie as a Cubbie ! Carter was the Sporting News College Player of the Year in 1981 and the Cubs made him the second pick overall in the amateur draft that year. Speed and power were his trademarks and he produced admirably in the minors winning the AAA Rookie of the Year award in 1983.

By June of 1984 he was sent to the Cleveland Indians (for Rick Sutcliff as part of a six player swap) in a deal that would catapult the Cubs to their division win. Sutcliff went on to go 16 - 1 and win the Cy Young award.

Carter on the other hand was belting HR's and striking out at a torrid pace. He ended his career with 396 career homeruns and 1387 strikeouts. Interesting enough, he had zero, none, nadda, zip, nil and no homeruns as a Cub but he did have 21 strikeouts. In the next fifteen years, Carter would go on to play in five all-star games, win two silver slugger awards and land in the top 20 for MVP voting eight times.

His career highlight will always be that game 6, ninth inning walk-off HR in the 1993 World Series in the dome of Toronto.

. . . a Chicago Cub . . . a World Series Trophy . . . and Born in 1960 . . .