They called him “The Kid” for the boundless enthusiasm and sheer joy — personified by a memorably dazzling smile — with which he played the game of baseball.

But though he went into the Hall of Fame as a Montreal Expo, Gary Carter will always be remembered as the spark behind the 1986 world champion New York Mets.

Carter died yesterday at 57 after a year-long battle with brain cancer.

His career stats say he was an 11-time All-Star and two-time All-Star MVP, with 324 home runs and 1,225 RBIs.

But it was as the Mets’ ace backstop, flawlessly handling the team’s pitchers, that he became a fan favorite.

Yet his bat spoke volumes, too.

And Met fans will always recall how his two-out single in game six of the ’86 Series began a miracle rally that ended with Mookie Wilson’s ground ball scooting through Bill Buckner’s legs and a Mets win.

The Kid only played five seasons at Shea. But he’ll always be a Mets immortal. RIP.