Rod Carew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rod Carew |
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Carew with the Minnesota Twins in 1978
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| Second baseman / First baseman | |||
| Born: October 1, 1945 Gatún, Panama Canal Zone |
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| debut | |||
| April 11, 1967, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 5, 1985, for the California Angels | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .328 | ||
| Hits | 3,053 | ||
| Home runs | 92 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,015 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1991 | ||
| Vote | 90.5% (first ballot) | ||
Rodney Cline Carew (born October 1, 1945) is a Panamanian-American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman, first baseman and designated hitter from 1967 to 1985. He played for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels. Rod Carew was an amazing contact hitter for the Twins. He won the 1977 AL Most Valuable Player Award. He also set a Twins record with a .388 batting average that year.
Carew played in 18 straight All-Star Games. He led the American League (AL) in hits three times. His 239 hits in 1977 were one of the most in a single season. He won seven AL batting titles. This is the second most AL batting titles ever, after Ty Cobb. On July 12, 2016, the AL batting title was renamed the Rod Carew American League batting title.
In 1977, Carew received the Roberto Clemente Award. This award honors players for their community work. On August 4, 1985, he became the 16th player to join the 3,000 hit club. He got his 3,000th hit with a single off Frank Viola. His 3,053 hits rank 27th all time. His career batting average of .328 is 34th all time. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. This was his first year of eligibility. He was also elected to the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame, Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame, and Angels Hall of Fame. After playing, Carew coached for the Angels and the Milwaukee Brewers.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Start
Rod Carew was born on October 1, 1945, in Gatún, which was then in the Panama Canal Zone. His mother was Panamanian. He was born on a train, and the doctor who helped deliver him was named Rodney Cline. Because of this, his mother named him Rodney Cline Carew.
When he was 14, Carew moved to the United States with his siblings. They joined their mother in New York City. He went to George Washington High School. However, he did not play baseball for his high school team. Carew became very interested in baseball again when he was 18. He played semi-professional baseball for a team called the Bronx Cavaliers.
A scout for the Minnesota Twins, Monroe Katz, discovered Carew there. Another Twins scout, Herb Stein, set up a tryout for him in April 1964. Carew played so well that the manager ended the tryout early. They wanted to sign him before other teams, like the Yankees, could see him. Carew signed a contract with the Twins on June 24, 1964.
Carew started his minor league career playing second base for the Melbourne Twins. He hit .325 in his first season. Over the next two years, he continued to play well in Minor League Baseball.
Rod Carew's Major League Career
Playing for the Minnesota Twins
Rod Carew made his Major League debut on April 11, 1967. He got his first major league hit in his first time at bat. He finished that game with two hits. A few weeks later, he had an amazing game with five hits. He was chosen for his first of 18 straight All-Star Games. He also won the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year award.
On May 18, 1969, Carew did something very rare. He stole every base in one inning! His teammate, Cesar Tovar, was on first base. Tovar stole second, then third, and then home. Carew walked, then stole second, then third, and then home too! This was only the 41st time in Major League history a player had stolen every base in an inning. Carew stole home seven times in 1969. This was the most in the majors since 1946. He ended the 1969 season leading the AL with a .332 batting average.
On May 20, 1970, Carew hit for the cycle. This means he hit a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game. This was the first time a Twins player had hit for the cycle. Later that year, he was injured and missed 92 games. In 1972, Carew led the AL in batting with a .318 average. This was the only time in his career he did not hit a home run in a season.
Carew started the 1973 season slowly. But he played very well during the summer. He finished the season with his third batting title, hitting .350. He also led the AL with 203 hits and 11 triples. The next season, 1974, was even better. He never batted below .300 all year. He had a career-high 213 hits and won his fourth batting title with a .364 average.
In 1975, Carew won his fourth straight AL batting title. He became one of only two players, along with Ty Cobb, to lead the major leagues in batting average for three years in a row. Carew mostly played second base early in his career. But in September 1975, he moved to first base and played there for the rest of his career. In 1976, he almost won another batting title, hitting .331. He had 200 hits for the third time and stole 49 bases.
The 1977 season was amazing for Carew. He batted .388, which was the highest average since 1957. He won the 1977 AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award. He also set career highs with 239 hits, 100 RBIs, and 128 runs scored. In the summer of 1977, Carew was on the cover of Time magazine. He won his seventh and final batting title in 1978, hitting .333.
Playing for the California Angels
In 1979, Rod Carew was traded from the Twins to the California Angels. He played for the Angels until 1985. Carew continued to hit well for the Angels. From 1979 to 1983, his batting average was always between .305 and .339. In 1982, Carew broke his hand early in the season. Even with the injury, he had a 25-game hitting streak. He played in 138 games that year and hit .319.
The Angels made it to the playoffs in 1982. This was Carew's fourth and final time playing in the postseason. The team lost to the Milwaukee Brewers. Carew played in all five games.
On August 4, 1985, Carew reached a major milestone. He got his 3,000th base hit. This happened against the Minnesota Twins pitcher Frank Viola. The 1985 season was his last as a player. After the season, the Angels did not offer him a new contract. He decided to retire from playing.
Carew finished his career with 3,053 hits. His lifetime batting average was .328. He still holds many records for both the Twins and the Angels. For the Twins, he has the highest career batting average (.334). For the Angels, he has the highest career on-base percentage (.393). Carew also stole home 17 times in his career.
Career Statistics Overview
In 2,469 games over 19 seasons, Rod Carew had a .328 batting average. He collected 3,053 hits, 1,424 runs, 445 doubles, 112 triples, and 92 home runs. He also had 1,015 RBI and 353 stolen bases. Carew had a batting average of .300 or higher for 15 seasons in a row. He had 7 games where he got five hits and 51 games with four hits.
Life Outside Baseball
Military Service and Discipline
Starting in 1966, Rod Carew served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve for six years. He was a combat engineer. Carew said that his time in the military helped him in his baseball career. He learned about discipline, which made him a better player. He realized that baseball was not "do-or-die" like military training.
Family and Community Involvement
Carew married his first wife, Marilynn Levy, in 1970. They had three daughters: Charryse, Stephanie, and Michelle. Their daughters were raised in the Jewish faith. Carew and Marilynn divorced in 2000.
In September 1995, his youngest daughter, Michelle, was diagnosed with a serious illness called leukemia. Doctors wanted to do a bone marrow transplant. However, it was hard to find a matching donor because of Michelle's mixed heritage. Carew asked people of similar backgrounds to come forward. When no match was found, she had a different type of transplant. Michelle sadly passed away on April 17, 1996, at age 18. A statue of her is at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
Carew married his second wife, Rhonda, in December 2001. She has two children, Cheyenne and Devon. The family attends church together.
Health Challenges and Advocacy
In September 2015, Carew had a very serious heart attack. He was in the hospital for over six weeks. He had surgery to implant a special device called a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Carew recovered well enough to help coach the Twins in 2016. He also started the Heart of 29 Campaign to raise awareness about heart health.
In February 2016, doctors told Carew he would need a heart transplant. He received a new heart on December 15, 2016. The heart was donated by Konrad Reuland, a former football player. Reuland had known Carew's children when they were young. Carew honored Reuland in the 2018 Rose Parade.
In a ceremony before the 2016 MLB All-Star Game, the American League batting championship trophy was named the Rod Carew American League Batting Championship Award. In 2016, Rod Carew also received the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award. On August 23, 2024, Carew became a citizen of the United States.
Honors and Legacy
Carew moved to Anaheim Hills, California, after retiring. He was hired as the Angels' hitting coach in 1991. He also coached for the Milwaukee Brewers. He helped many young hitters improve their skills. Carew has also worked as a coach for the Twins and as a youth baseball instructor for Major League Baseball.
On January 19, 2004, the National Stadium in Panama City was renamed "Rod Carew Stadium" in his honor. In 2005, Carew was named the second baseman on the Major League Baseball Latino Legends Team.
The Minnesota Twins retired Carew's number 29 on July 19, 1987. The Angels also retired his number 29 in 1986. Carew was the fourth person inducted into the Angels' Hall of Fame in 1991. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991, in his first year of eligibility. In 1999, he was ranked #61 on The Sporting News' list of 100 Greatest Baseball Players. He was also nominated for Major League Baseball's All-Century Team. Carew was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in 2010.
Images for kids
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Carew (left) talks to a fan in May 2014.
See also
In Spanish: Rod Carew para niños
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- 3,000 hit club
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- DHL Hometown Heroes
- Hispanics in the United States Marine Corps
