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From: evan@petfe.UUCP (Evan Marcus)
Newsgroups: net.sport.baseball
Subject: Personal vs. Team Glory (Gary Carter)
Message-ID: <367@petfe.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 27-Jun-85 19:15:32 EDT
Article-I.D.: petfe.367
Posted: Thu Jun 27 19:15:32 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Jun-85 01:55:43 EDT
Organization: Perkin-Elmer DSG, Tinton Falls, N.J.
Lines: 38

I was watching yesterday (June 26)'s Mets-Cubs game, where the Cubs won 7-3,
and Gary Carter came within 5 feet of hitting for the cycle.  Unfortunately
the 5 feet was how much he was out by trying to stretch a single into a 
double (what he needed to complete it) in the 9th inning.  

He was going out on a limb trying for that double, and he never should have, 
but I think he wanted to hit for the cycle!  He was (since he was out so easily)
putting his own interests first, and when he was out, it looked awful.  

The 2 questions I put forth for discussion are:  was it (in your opinion) self-
serving?  and is there any time in a game when it's ok to serve one's own
interests instead of the team's? 

I have an odd opinion of Carter.  I think it's hard to dispute his playing
abilities.  He is undisputably one of the best catchers in baseball.  (Anyone
really want to argue that?)  But (and I am an avid Mets fan!), I don't like
him.  This grandstanding fits perfectly the image of Carter I have been pieceing
together all season.  He talks (too) sincerely about the team's interests, and
all, but I somehow don't believe him.  He smiles too  much.  Nobody is that
happy (not even a guy getting $1 million for playing a kid's game that he's
great at)!  Before this incident I didn't feel really justified in that 
distrust, it was just a gut feeling.  But now, I can justify it. 

When the game ended, there were 2 on.  If Carter had been content with a 
single, Heep would have batted with 1 out and bases loaded (if I recall 
right).  They just might have pulled it out.  Maybe not, but now we'll 
never know.

Anyway, here are 3 new discussions for the newsgroup that aren't trivia or
rules questions, and are more of a purist's kind of discussion.  Have a good
time!

--Evan Marcus
-- 
{ucbvax|decvax}!vax135!petsd!petfe!evan
                         ...!pedsgd!pedsga!evan

If this is foreplay, I'm a dead man.