Random Jay Monday: '96 Leaf Limited Joe Carter

I still remember yelling out when that ball cleared the fence, Joe Carter running around the bases like a 12 year old kid would when they got the game winning hit.  Only this was of a bigger magnitude, the home run won the 1993 World Series, in what would be the 2nd consecutive win for the only team outside of the USA to ever win the MLB championship.

I bet a lot of you don't remember that Joe Carter ended the '92 World Series as well.  It was 4-3 Jays in the 11th inning of game 6 in Atlanta when Otis Nixon attempted a bunt, and Mike Timlin threw to Joe Carter who was playing 1st that night (so the Jays could have Dave Winfield's bat in the game, playing right field) and the Jays won their first championship.

Fast forward a couple of years to 1996, the team had let go many of the main pieces that had been a part of those two titles (Winfield, Molitor, Alomar, Stieb and Key to name a few), but Joe Carter was still one of the key cogs in the machine, even at age 36.

This week's card is his '96 Leaf Limited card, #76 in the set.  '96 was Joe's last full season in the outfield; with emerging talents Shawn Green, Jose Cruz Jr. and Carlos Delgado, Joe spent more time playing DH and 1B than in the outfield. 

Joe ranks in the top 10 in Blue Jays team history in HR's (3rd with 203), hits, doubles, total bases and runs scored. 

But the lasting images for me will always be the 2 world championships that he was a big part of.

Touch em all Joe!

Thanks for reading, Robert