Sunshine, players enhance Gary Carter Park dedication

The game of baseball stands chock full of immortals.

From Abner Doubleday to the Say Hey Kid ....

From the Great Bambino to Mr. Cub ...

From Hammerin' Hank to Gary Carter ...

Yes, the man said Gary Carter.

On the type of day that Ernie Banks immortalized, Gary "The Kid" Carter joined the ranks of the immortals at the Shore Christian Center in Wall Township on Sunday afternoon.

With the glory of sunshine joining the evergreen-laced complex to provide a radiant backdrop, the new baseball diamond that graces the Shore Christian Center terrain became forever known as Gary Carter Park.

A fabulous beam of granite bearing an excellent likeness of Carter will eternally remind all who come to the complex that Carter is "an exuberant man of valor who played for the glory of God and the love of the game."

"We dedicate this field in the glory of God for the joy of all people," Shore Christian Center Pastor Dewey Friedel announced to the fine crowd that attended the prior church service at which Carter spoke and the dedication ceremony.

"We named this field Gary Carter Park," Friedel continued, "because of the great association that our church has enjoyed with Gary over the past 17 years."

Carter, who swiftly cut the ribbon to officially open the field to the public, addressed the audience immediately following Friedel's announcement.

"To all of you who will ever use this field, may you have glorious times of winning and enjoyment," expressed Carter, who fueled the World Series championship ride for the New York Mets in 1986. "I'm speechless to say that this is a beautiful field to have dedicated to anyone.

"When you come out to this field," Carter added, "have smiles on your faces."

In short order, Carter, who enjoyed a fine Major League playing career with the Expos, Mets, Giants and Dodgers, teamed up with Dickie Noles (a 15-year pro who pitched for the World Series champion Phillies in 1980 and also played with the Cubs, Rangers, Indians, Tigers and Orioles) and Ed McRea (head coach of the Middlesex Colts and a coach with the USA Baseball team that won a gold medal in the National Championships).

These three gentlemen conducted the inaugural Peak Performance For Life All-Star Baseball Clinic, during which approximately 50 youngsters picked up pointers from the pros.

McRea instructed the eager campers in the areas of fielding and baserunning.

Noles shared his pitching expertise with the players.

"There are two ways to hold the fastball," Noles said. "You can throw it with the seams or across the seams. You also have to learn to get on top of the ball with your pitches.

"There is a fallacy about the curveball being harmful to a young pitcher's arm," Noles added. "The curveball will not harm you if it's thrown properly."

Noles described that proper way.

"Hold the ball with four seams," he stated. "Throw the pitch with a tight wrist and a strong shoulder.

"You've got to throw strikes," Noles dictated pitching's most golden rule. "You want to get all the momentum of your motion going toward home plate."

Carter described the opposite end of pitches to the kids.

"Every one of you will develop your own style of hitting," Carter stated. "The whole key to hitting is to be able to see the ball and hit the ball.

"You're always looking to make solid contact," continued Carter, who also supplied instructions about working the catcher's position. "You want your swing to hit down on the ball. You don't want to upper-cut and you don't want to have too much head movement."

Noles expressed the sentiment felt by himself and Carter regarding the chance to instruct these youngsters.

"It's really a whole lot of fun," Noles said. "Anytime you get the chance to work with children, it's a blessing.

"The older kids can learn a little bit better because they've been playing and understand things a little more," Noles added. "You hope that you reach the fathers of the younger kids so that they can work with them later on."

Before the clinic began, Carter and Noles baptized the playing surface with a quick game of pepper.

Noles heaved in the pitches that Carter attempted to drill beyond the friendly confines of his freshly commemorated complex.

"I can't tell you how long it's been since I hit one out!" Carter stated.

"Hey, I still got it!" Noles exclaimed after registering a swinging strike on Carter.

Carter caught up with a Noles offering to nail a homer to leftfield that registered approximately 335 feet.

"Hey, Gary!!" a voice bellowed from the admiring crowd. "Montreal's on the phone!!"

Carter jacked one more homer before he was through.

Just prior to that second roundtripper, Carter ripped a drive with home run distance just wide of the leftfield foul pole.

"You gotta do that Carlton Fisk thing!" Noles chortled about the immortal arm waving that Fisk unleashed to will a clutch World Series home run fair.

Doing his own thing so well for so long laid the foundation to the Wall Township park that will forever bear his name and likeness.

"It's just wonderful," Carter said about his immortalization. "I owe it all to Pastor Dewey.

"I just give God's glory and praise," Carter added. "When you have your name placed on a field, it's a great honor. It's something that stands forever."

The same stands true about the glorious image that characterized Carter's playing career -- that eternal, 100-watt smile that told the world just how grateful Carter was for the ability to play Major League Baseball and experience its greatest fruits.