ON WAY TO HALL, CARTER SHED FOOTBALL.

Byline: MATT McHALE

If Gary Carter was growing up today, he might be Brett Favre instead of the newest member of baseball's Hall of Fame.

Instead of spending time in the low minors learning the catching position that made him an 11-time All-Star, Carter would be enrolling at UCLA expecting to become the starting quarterback.

When Carter, now 49, graduated from high school in 1972, he was a two-time All-American. Of the 100 scholarships he was offered during his senior year at Sunny Hills High in Fullerton, all were for football.

Scouts raved about his throwing arm and NFL potential. They rated him ahead of cross-town rival Steve DeBerg, who played in the pros for almost 20 years.

``He was a very good prospect,'' said Terry Donahue, longtime Bruins coach and an assistant under Pepper Rodgers in 1972. ``He would have been very interesting and fun for us to coach. He was very athletic, had a strong arm and was a great leader. He had all the intangibles you wanted in a quarterback.''

But for every Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders, who starred in both sports, there are hundreds of athletes who have juggled the two and failed. The most notable of these might be Josh Booty, brother of new USC quarterback John-David Booty, who was the nation's top-rated prep football player and also played baseball. He never made it with the Florida Marlins and struggled after returning to college.

Thirty-one years ago, athletes were not allowed to play one sport professionally and another at the collegiate level.

Five days after graduation, Carter signed with the Montreal Expos for $35,000 and never looked back.

``It was time to leave home and get out on my own,'' he said.

Carter arrives in Cooperstown today with some of the greatest credentials in the history of his position.

He finished his 19-year career with 2,296 games, most by a National League catcher and second to Carlton Fisk all-time. He is just one of six catchers to hit 300 home runs (324) and drive in 1,000 runs (1,225). Of his 11 All-Star visits, he was named most valuable player in 1981 and '84.

It was Carter's 1985 trade to the New York Mets that brought him his greatest fame, winning a thrilling seven-game World Series in 1986 against Boston.

It was Carter's two-out single in the 10th inning of Game 6 that ignited a three-run rally and tied the Series. The Mets won the Series the next night.

``That was the greatest thrill of my career,'' Carter said. ``Winning it all is something special.''

The Mets never got back to the Series and Carter was traded to San Francisco in 1990. He joined the Dodgers in 1991 as Mike Scioscia's backup catcher, a role that was difficult to accept. He finished his career the next season back in Montreal.

He also ended with nine knee operations. The first came during his junior year in high school.

It also got Carter thinking baseball might be a better career choice than football. A doctor told him another knee injury might end his playing both sports.

George Genovese, the legendary Giants scout, remembers the first time he met Carter. Genovese was at the family house in Fullerton to sign Carter's older brother Gordon, who was four years older and a pitcher at USC.

``Here was this kid on the couch with a cast on his leg from his ankle to his hip,'' Genovese said. ``I knew he was a good ballplayer although I never saw him as a catcher. Even with the cast, he jumped off the couch and said, `And next year you're going to come back and sign me.' ''

The Expos were hoping Carter would fall in the '72 draft so they publicized the idea that he was headed to UCLA to play football.

After vigorous recruiting by Bruins assistant Dick Tomey, Carter signed a letter of intent to run Rodgers' wishbone offense.

He was taken in the third round by the Expos and never got to Westwood.

Like Donahue, Tomey now works for the San Francisco 49ers. Tomey had been a long-time head coach at the University of Arizona before moving to the NFL.

He still remembers the disappointment of losing Carter but is happy to say the two have remained close friends.

``More than anything, he was one of those very special leaders,'' Tomey said. ``He had infectious enthusiasm and people just rallied around him. I think he would have been tremendously successful as a football player. There was always a part of him that wished he'd gone on to play football. But obviously he made the right choice.''