Gary Carter to Manage Ducks

Hall of famer and former Mets catcher Gary Carter has been hired to manage the 2009 Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League.

The Ducks are not affiliated with any Major League team, and are owned by another former Met, Bud Harrelson.

It was a shame that “The Kid” left the Mets organization — he had managed their Port St. Lucie team in 2005 and 2006, winning “Manager of the Year” honors both seasons, and winning the Gulf Coast League title in 2006. However he declined an opportunity to manage the AA Binghamton Mets in 2007, feeling slighted that he wasn’t offered a role on the big-league coaching staff.

He probably burned his bridges with the Mets by publicly campaigning for Willie Randolph’s managerial job right before Randolph was fired. While I found that move irritating, unprofessional, and asinine, I still would have liked to see Carter back in the organization. The guy knows how to win.

Carter joins Wally Backman, Ray Knight, and Bobby Ojeda, among others, as former Mets blacklisted by the organization. What is it about those rowdy, aggressive, cocky, abrasive ’86 Mets that have a habit of ticking off the Wilpons? Oh, that’s right — they’re rowdy, aggressive, cocky, and abrasive … the same characteristics that contributed to the team’s domination of the National League in 1986.

And we wonder why the current Mets’ clubhouse is devoid of strong personalities …