Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter  died today in Florida. He was 57. Carter was managing at Palm Beach Atlantic College in May 2011 when he was diagnosed with brain cancer.

Nicknamed “Kid” for his youthful exuberance, Carter was an 11-time All-Star who hit .262 with 324 home runs and 1,225 runs batted in during 18 seasons playing for the Montreal Expos, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 10 years with the Montreal Expos, Carter hit .272, averaged 21 homers, 26 doubles and 80 RBIs a season and was a seven-time All-Star. Carter was a rare player who was accessible outside the ball park and often set aside time to pose for pictures and sign autographs.

In 1986, the New York Mets made Carter baseball’s highest-paid player with a $2 million salary. Carter hit .255 with 24 homers and 105 RBIs that season and finished third in National League MVP voting.

Carter’s most famous hit may have been in the 10th inning of Game 6 at Shea Stadium in the World Series. With the Red Sox one strike away from the World Series title, Carter hit a single that started a rally that ended when Mookie Wilson hit a game-winning grounder through the legs of Bill Buckner.

Carter was a four-time All-Star in five years with the Mets, batting .249 with 89 homers and 349 RBIs. He went on to play one season in San Francisco and one for the Dodgers. He closed his big-league career where it began, playing in Montreal in 1992. A three-time Gold Glove Award winner, Carter finished with an NL-record 2,056 games at catcher and is one of only six catchers with more than 300 home runs and 1,000 RBIs.

Gary Carter has various jersey and autograph cards available. However, with his passing, the prices will more than likely rise quickly. Carter’s rookie card is from 1975 Topps Baseball and features him with 3 other rookies.