Biography of Rod Carew, a baseball player who went on to a Hall of Fame career with the Minnesota Twins and Calilfornia Angels.
A baseball fan who found himself marooned on a deserted island during the 1970s wouldn't have missed much when he returned to civilization in the 80s. Rod Carew was still the game's best hitter.
Born on a train in the Panama Canal zone in 1945, Rod Carew got his name in the form of a motherly thank you. A passenger riding in the whites only section of the train was Dr. Rodney Cline. When Carew's mother went into labor, Dr. Cline came to the rescue. Rodney Cline Carew made the name famous with a Hall of Fame baseball career.
Carew and his family moved to an impoverished section of New York in 1961. It was there a teenage Carew was discovered by Twins' scout Monroe Katz. A tryout resulted in a contract with Minnesota and after a long stint in the minors, Carew made the majors for good in 1967.
He wound up hitting .292 in his first season, good enough to be named American League Rookie of the Year. He was an exceptional baserunner, perfecting the art of stealing home thanks to the tutelage of former Yankee fireball Billy Martin, his manager with Minnesota.
By the early 70s, Carew began winning a string of batting championships. He hit .300 or better fifteen straight years! Only five players at that time had ever accomplished such a consistent record of success--all Hall of Famers.
In 1977, Carew had a storybook season. He flirted with the magic .400 mark until late in the season, finishing the year at .388 and winning the MVP award. A second baseman for the first half of his career, Carew's defensive ability never quite matched his offense and he was shifted to first base by the late 70s. Exasperated at playing for the penny-pinching Twins and owner Calvin Griffith, Carew's complaints led to a trade in 1979.
Now with the California Angels, Carew's hitting success continued. He helped the Angels to the American League West championship in 1982. He signed a second contract with the Angels in 1983 and in 1985, achieved a personal milestone with career hit #3000, a number that always leads to Hall of Fame election. Carew retired after the '85 season with seven batting titles.
He was indeed elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 1991 and moved into coaching in 1992. Carew is currently the batting instructor for the Milwaukee Brewers of the National League.
