Chris Carter

From The Met Wiki

Age: 27 (born September 16, 1982)

Position: First base / corner outfield

Bats: Left Throws: Left

Number: 23

Acquired: Traded for Billy Wagner in 2009

Contract: Major League minimum

Chris "The Animal" Carter was a tremendous AAA hitter who couldn't get a break. He had just 23 at bats with the Red Sox, in which he had 6 hits (all singles) and 9 strikeouts and was tagged "A Triple-A hitter" who would never hit in the bigs.

The Mets acquired Carter as a player to be named later when dealing Billy Wagner in August 2009. Despite a strong spring, Daniel Murphy's injury, a great start in Buffalo, and Mike Jacobs' and Frank Catalanotto's failures, Carter was kept on the farm. Ted Berg, still seething over the Mets refusal to call up Valentino Pascucci when his offense would likely have been enough to prevent the Mets' 2008 disaster, helped start the Free Chris Carter movement, which had its own Facebook page, Twitter hashtag, and blogger and fan support.

Finally on May 11 Carter got the call, and he responded with the game winning pinch hit double in the Mets' 6 run eighth that turned a 6-2 deficit into an 8-6 victory.

Carter was retired in his next two pinch hit appearances, which has not created a #FreeFrankCatalanotto movement. It is likely that at some point the Mets will give him a chance to spell the struggling Jeff Francoeur against some righties. Should Ike Davis struggle, Carter may also get some time at first.

On June 11, 2010, Carter hit his first major league homer against the Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jeremy Guthrie at Camden Yards.