REMEMBERING RICO CARTY
by: Ismael Nunez
His full name was Ricardo Adolfo Jacobo Carty (September 1, 1939 – November 23, 2024), nicknamed “Beeg Boy”. He was a Dominican professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1963 to 1979, most prominently as a member of the Atlanta Braves. He was teammates with future Hall of Famers Hank Aaron and Orlando Cepeda. Carty made his debut around the same time as these other fellow brothers from the Dominican Republic: the Alou Brothers, Felipe, Matty, Jesus, Juan Marichal, Julian Javier, Manny Mota, and Cesar Cedeno. Carty played for the Braves, Guardians, Cubs, Blue Jays, A’s, and Rangers during a 15-year career. He finished second in balloting for the 1964 National League Rookie of the Year Award and won the NL batting title in 1970, when he hit .366 with 1.037 OPS, beating out future Hall of Famer (and fellow Latin American Roberto Clemente). It is still the highest mark in Braves modern-era franchise history.
Carty finished his career hitting .299 with an .833 OPS, recording 1,677 hits, 204 home runs, 890 RBI and a 32.7 WAR. He was a .317 hitter with the Braves and a .303 hitter with the Indians. Carty eventually, like fellow Dominicans Moises Alou and Cesar Cedeno, played hard and was subject to numerous injuries and fights with teammates. Many feel if not for injuries he’d have higher stats and most likely be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Society of American Baseball Research stated “Rico Carty’s baseball journey began in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, where he was born on September 1, 1939, one of 16 children. His mother, Olivia, was a midwife; his father, Leopoldo, worked in the sugar mill and played club cricket. Rico played pick-up baseball until he was 15, when he followed the example of four uncles and turned to boxing. He won his first 17 bouts (12 by KOs), but turned to baseball full-time after one embarrassing ring defeat.”
The Atlanta Braves stated on MLB.com “We are saddened by the passing of 15-year MLB veteran Rico Carty. Carty spent 8 of his 15 years with the Braves. “The San Juan Star” reported “Through the injuries and the setbacks, one thing was always true: When he was healthy, Carty could hit a baseball.” In the same article in the San Juan Star back in 2019 he stated in Forbes “Asked by Forbes in 2019 about the faster pitching in the modern game, Carty replied: “You think Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Dick Allen, Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda couldn’t hit this pitching? “I’d kill it.” In 1996 he gained induction into the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame as part of their first class and in August 19, 2023 he was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in August 19, 2023
As in most of his brothers Carty showed his philanthropy side. He would run the Fundacion Rico Carty, an organization that helps address poverty in the Dominican Republic.
He worked at his foundation, helping the poor with medicine, clothes, food, and, sometimes, baseball equipment. As “La Vida Baseball stated “However, there is no denying that when you mention the best Dominican hitters, names like Vladimir Guerrero, Albert Pujols, Adrian Beltré, George Bell, Sammy Sosa his name will come up.” Rico Carty will always have a place in the hearts of not only in the Dominican Republic yet all of Latin America.
