Mets Reverse No. 8 Decision for Nick Morabito, Reissuing Gary Carter Tribute in 40th Anniversary Season
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 20
Mets Reverse No. 8 Decision for Nick Morabito, Reissuing Gary Carter Tribute in 40th Anniversary Season
4 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 20
Nick Morabito will switch to No. 55 after the Mets quickly reversed their decision to give the rookie Gary Carter’s long-shelved No. 8.
No. 8 had not been worn by a Met since 2001 and has largely been kept out of circulation to honor Carter, the Hall of Fame catcher who helped lead the 1986 club to a World Series title.
Backlash came almost immediately after Morabito’s promotion, with fans objecting and longtime broadcaster Howie Rose saying releasing the number during the 40th anniversary season of 1986 “just seems wrong.”
The change came too late for Tuesday’s game against Washington, so Morabito still debuted in No. 8 as the Mets continue a broader push under owner Steve Cohen to honor former stars.
Carter’s number remains unretired even after the Mets retired six numbers since Cohen bought the team in 2020, with Carlos Beltran set to become the seventh this summer.
As the Mets honor past legends, why is 1986 hero Gary Carter's number still not officially retired?
Does a simple jersey number mistake reveal a deeper problem with how sports teams value their own history?