Ex-big leaguer steals show at snowy Nats’ Winter Caravan

By David Driver
Posted: January 30, 2010

The snow was falling about an inch per hour Saturday afternoon in Landover, in the shadow of the Redskins’ home field on a day Georgetown hosted Duke in college hoops a few miles away. But forget football and basketball: Fans of the Washington Nationals braved the weather and slippery Route 202/Landover Road to get autographs of their favorite players at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Center.

Some of the Nationals on hand for the last day of the Winter Caravan included Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn (who left early, as scheduled), John Lannan, Jason Marquis, Nyjer Morgan, Josh Willingham, Matt Capps and manager Jim Riggleman, a Rockville native and former college standout at Frostburg. During a press conference, before fans were allowed to get autographs, the Nationals announced a partnership with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) in which the team is committed to assisting the development of baseball and softball in Prince George’s County.

“This partnership allows us to reach youth we may not have touched before and expand the reach of the Nationals’ program into a deserving community,” Chartese Burnett, a county resident for 10 years and the vice president of communications and community relations for the Nationals, said in a statement.

Several youngsters from the Forestville Boys and Girls Club, in southern Prince George’s, were on hand as the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation awarded $5,000 to the club to help with equipment and programming. But it was Steve Carter, the M-NCPPC’s chief of sports, health and wellness, who stole the show. For one, he took a few good-natured jabs at the hefty salary of Zimmerman, a former star at the University of Virginia.

Carter, who went to Albemarle High near Charlottesville, Va., told the youth, members of the Nationals and elected county officials of being raised by a single mother who worked two jobs. Carter said he thought his future was in basketball and he did not really like baseball when he was young. But two University of Virginia law students took in an interest in Carter and his brothers and worked with them on their baseball skills. Carter said his grades dictated that he attend a junior college, though he eventually made it to Division I Georgia.

Carter said in 1987 his Georgia team was in Starkville, Miss., for a series in the SEC against Mississippi State. Before the series he was told by the Georgia coaching staff that, as the only person of color on the team, he could not go with the team to a restaurant that night. Carter was not sure why, then he was told to consider where he was and that he was the only African-American on the team. Carter took out his frustration in the series, he said, getting seven hits in 11 bats against Mississippi State with two homers as he gained weekly honors in the SEC for his efforts. Carter, born in 1964, noted some of his teammates stayed at the hotel that night to eat with him. But he also noted he was not bitter with the teammates who went to the restaurant.

He was later drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 17th round in 1987. He was shagging flies during batting practice in the minor leagues in 1989 when Terry Collins, a former big league manager, told Carter he was headed to the majors with the Pirates since regular outfielder Andy Van Slyke had been injured. One of the first things Carter did was call his mother back in Virginia. “This was before cell phones,” said Carter, noting 10-year-olds in the audience. He called his mother at work, and Carter said that usually meant one of the Carter boys had gotten into trouble. “Mom, I just got called up the major leagues,” Carter said. “The phone dropped. We were both crying like babies.”

Carter, who played 14 big league games in 1989-90 with the Pirates, then told told the young Forestville club members: “You can be where they are,” said Carter, motioning to several of the Nationals lined up against a nearby wall. The former Pirate then had each youngster touch hands with at least one of the current major leaguers. Carter noted that the Forestville club may not produce a future big leaguer. “We have people who are making an important impact in this community. That can be you,” Carter said to the youth.

On a snowy day when I probably should have stayed home, that story was worth risking a fender-bender on Landover Road. Or at least I keep telling myself that.

Comment on this entry • No responses