Three in the afternoon on Sunday the 19th, at rest, leaning back in his recliner, Ricardo Carty receives a call with one of the news items he has yearned for the most in recent decades. The famous Rico, as charismatic as he is a powerful hitter, will be an immortal in the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame, the franchise with which he played in 10 of his Major League seasons.
“I thought that when they called me from Atlanta they would invite me to one of those series that the team will have when the season begins, but no, the news was much better, according to what the Braves Public Relations executive told me,” said the batting champion. of the National League in 1970 with his astronomical .366.
“We are going to make you immortal in Atlanta,” he said almost immediately, who was on the other side of the cell phone.
Joy was not long in coming for the former baseball player whose bat was never frightened when facing what is considered the best pitching constellation baseball has ever had and who triumphed over the adversities implied by the racial barrier that prevented black players of his time from moving on equal terms with whites.
“This has been the news I’ve been waiting for the most in recent times and thank God that my exaltation to Braves fame is going to come true,” added the .299 hitter (5,606-1,677) for life about the ceremony. which will take place on Saturday, August 19, prior to a game against the San Francisco Giants scheduled for 7:20 pm.
In it he will be immortalized along with Fred Tenney, former outfielder, starter and catcher, who played with the Boston Braves from 1894 to 1911.
“Grateful and happy is the first thing I can say about this pleasant moment, since I found out everything was emotion around my family, friends and other beings who appreciate me,” added Carty, who at 83 maintains his customary strong voice.
Rico, a hitter with 204 home runs in his career, will also have his number 43 retired, the first he wore with the Braves. He, along with Tenney, will also be the 39th and 40th players in team history to receive a distinction of this magnitude. Hank Aaron, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, Chipper Jones, David Justice, Joe Torre, Tom Glavine, Andruw Jones are some already distinguished.
Firsthand, Carty will be joined at the ceremony by his wife Lady Garcia, his daughter Hilary, his mother-in-law Xiomara, as well as some children who reside in Atlanta and New York.
While some friends from yesteryear that I would like to observe at the ceremony would be Felipe Alou, Orlando Cepeda, Paul Casanovas, Matt Jones, as well as others such as Juan Marichal, Manuel Mota, as well as the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader and various personalities from the Central Government .
fifth immortality
When he is exalted on August 19, it will be the fifth that Carty will reach in his history, as he will join the Dominican Sports Pavilion of Fame in 1989, the San Pedro de MacorÃs Pavilion, the Caribbean and Latino baseball.
“It is something that honors and makes me proud, after one has stayed in this game for so long and has taken it seriously and clearly making their contributions, these are the fruits that are reaped,” he adds, who on April 15 will travel to Atlanta to receive medical checkups. With so many achievements as a hitter, Carty will be honored by him for them and this will take place on August 19th.
highest average
His career average of .317 at least with the Braves is tied for sixth in franchise history and tied for first at his current home, Atlanta. His average of .366 is the highest on the team.
hate hamburgers
Carty narrates that at the time of the racial barrier, he spent three months eating chicken or hamburgers. From this last he was so agitated that just seeing her agitated.