Gary Carter, 1954-2012 - NYTimes.com February 16, 2012, 5:30 pm Gary Carter, the Hall of Fame catcher who led the Mets to a World Championship in 1986, lost his long bout with brain cancer on Thursday. Read his obituary. "Gary exemplified the never-give-up spirit of our city," Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said in a statement, "a spirit that "the Kid" gallantly showed right up to the end. It's why we'll always remember him.