Rod Carew

Guide Note:

Rod Carew is a former Major League Baseball infielder who split his 19-season career between the Minnesota Twins and California Angels.

Fast Facts:

1. Born: October 1, 1945
2. Appeared in 17 All-Star Games
3. Stole home plate 7 times in 1969
4. Mythbuster: He did not convert to Judaism
5. Had a lifetime batting average of .328
6. 3000th hit came against Frank Viola in 1985
7. Won 3 straight batting titles 1975-77
8. Was born on a Panamanian train
9. Graduated from same high school as Manny Ramirez
10. Daughter Michelle died of leukemia in 1996
11. Number 29 retired by both Angels and Twins

Carew came into the world aboard a train in the Panama Canal Zone, and his family moved to New York City when he was a teenager. After attending high school in Manhattan, the promising hitter signed a contract with the Minnesota Twins the day after graduating.

Carew made an immediate impact on baseball in 1967 by winning the Rookie of the Year Award and by being elected to the All-Star team for the first of eighteen consecutive seasons. Carew was not a power-hitter or an RBI producer, primarily, but one of the best and fastest high-average leadoff hitters to ever play the game. In 1977, Carew batted a stratospheric .388 on his way to winning the batting title as well as the American League Most Valuable Player Award. In 1979, he was traded to the Angels, where he played first base and served as the designated hitter. Upon retirement, Carew's number was retired by both the Angels and the Twins, and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, in 1991.