Slugging outfielder and World Series hero Joe Carter is born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Drafted with the second pick overall in the 1981 draft by the Cubs, Chicago dealt him to Cleveland with outfielder Mel Hall, pitcher Don Schulze, and minor leaguer Darryl Banks for future Cy Young winner Rick Sutcliffe, catcher Ron Hassey, and pitcher George Frazier in 1984.

Carter became a mainstay and force in the Indians lineup, leading the AL in RBI in 1986 with 121, becoming a 30-homer/30-stolen base player in 1987 (the first to ever do so for Cleveland), and hitting a career-high 35 homers in 1989. Following the season and with his free agency on the horizon after the coming season, he was sent to the San Diego Padres for catcher Sandy Alomar, infielder Carlos Baerga, and utility player Chris James.

Carter’s departure helped the Indians retool for a largely successful decade in the 1990s thanks to the acquisitions of Alomar and Baerga. Meanwhile, after a season in California, Carter was traded with future Indians second baseman and Sandy’s younger brother Roberto Alomar to the Toronto Blue Jays for first baseman Fred McGriff and shortstop Tony Fernandez (another player who would have ties to Cleveland in his future).

Carter became a five-time All-Star with the Jays, hitting the World Series-clinching three-run walk-off home run off of Philadelphia’s Mitch Williams in the bottom of the ninth in Game Six of the 1993 World Series.