From Montreal to Cooperstown

Despite his desires to be recognized as a New York Met, longtime catcher Gary Carter is told 21 years ago today by the Hall of Fame that he will be depicted wearing a Montreal Expos cap on his plaque in Cooperstown.

Carter instead wants his plaque to represent his five seasons in New York, where in 1986 he wins a World Series title with the Mets.

The powers that be at the Hall of Fame say otherwise, though, telling Carter of their decision only nine days after his election in 2003.

The most compelling reason is Carter spends the first 11 seasons of his 19-year career in Montreal, where he is the face of a once-remarkable franchise that, alas, only has two seasons left in Canada before Major League Baseball unceremoniously uproots the team and moves it to Washington.

Carter is the first Hall of Famer inducted with an Expos logo on his plaque with Andre Dawson following him in 2010 and Tim Raines in 2017.