Mike Carter saw 13 pro campaigns, made AAA, missed bigs

Mike Carter hit the game-winning double on the first pitch he saw in the ninth inning of this July 1990 contest with rookie Helena and afterward he explained how he did it to The Helena Independent-Record.

"The first one is the best one usually," Carter told The Independent-Record. "I thought he'd throw a fastball, but I saw him shake off the first sign. Then I looked for something off-speed."

That year at Helena also marked Carter's first one as a pro. He went on to see a total of 13 pro campaigns. He topped out at AAA.

Carter's career began that year in 1990, taken by the Brewers in the third round of the draft out of the University of West Alabama.

Carter started with the Brewers at Helena. He hit .307 over 61 games. He then moved to single-A Beloit for 1991. He knocked a two-run double in a May game. He hit .279 overall in 123 games there.

Carter made high-A Stockton and AA El Paso in 1992. He hit .259 over 117 on the season. He then made AAA New Orleans for 1993. He saw 104 games there and hit .276.

Then, for 1994, the Brewers sent him and another player to the Cubs for Bob Scanlan. He then made AAA Iowa over the next three seasons. He hit .325 in 107 games there in 1995 and .266 over 113 games there in 1996, but he never saw Chicago.

Carter saw brief time with the Angels at AA Midland for 1997, then played the rest of the season in Mexico.

Over the next five seasons, Carter saw time in independent ball and in Mexico. In 2001, he returned to affiliated ball with the Braves as he spent the year at AAA Richmond. He hit .294 in 104 games there.

Carter last played in 2002, when he saw time at independent Bridgeport and in Mexico at Yucatan to end his career.

• Helena Independent-Record, Aug. 1, 1990: Brewer rally nips Copper Kings 5-4

More: The 1990 Helena Brewers

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:3,407
Made the Majors:1,202-35.3%
Never Made Majors:2,205-64.7%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:499
10+ Seasons in the Minors:294-X