Major League Baseball

Mets past, present to honor Carter

Published Feb. 24, 2012 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

With heavy hearts the Mets will pay final respects to Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter on Friday night at a memorial service in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Carter, a key component of the Mets' 1986 world championship team, died last week at the age of 57 after a battle with brain cancer.

Former teammates of Carter's expected to attend Friday's service include Keith Hernandez, Rusty Staub, Wally Backman, Tim Teufel, Howard Johnson, Roger McDowell, Mookie Wilson, Sid Fernandez, Darryl Strawberry and Bob Ojeda.

The Mets will send a bus from their spring training complex to transport team members. Manager Terry Collins, David Wright, Josh Thole and Bobby Parnell are expected to attend along with team COO Jeff Wilpon and members of the front office.

Teufel, now the Mets' third base coach, was Carter's teammate from 1986-89.

"We're all emotionally tied in some way, and emotions will be flowing [Friday] I think for the family," Teufel said.

Wright said he and Carter became friendly in recent years. Carter initiated the contact.

"I always thought that was cool," Wright said. "You have a Hall of Famer interested enough not only in you, but the energy that you have for baseball, to reach out to a guy and just want to talk about the team. It's only right you go and pay your respects and at least just kind of be there to say a silent prayer for him."