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 Appearing to almost catch the ball
with his bat, Carew carefully placed
base hits all over the diamond,
winning seven batting titles. He was
the best bunter of his generation,
and he stoled home 17 times. Toiling
for poor Twins teams and the
hard-luck Angels, Carew collected
more hits than any player who never
played in a World Series....Book Rod Carew for Your Event
Born in the Panama Canal zone, Carew
learned to hit tennis balls and wads
of paper taped into a ball. When he
was 16 his mother took the family to
New York City to live with Rods
godmother. Carew grew up not far
from the old Polo Grounds, and near
Yankee Stadium.
He
began his career as a second
baseman, but he was never much of a
fielder. He won the AL Rookie of the
Year award in 1967 and was an
All-Star for the first of 18
consecutive seasons. He garnered his
first batting title in 1969, despite
missing two-weeks and several
weekends for military commitments.
In 1970 he missed three months with
torn cartilage after a runner
collided with him at the keystone on
June 22nd.
In
1972 he won the first of four
straight batting titles, joining Ty
Cobb as the only players to do so in
the American League. By that time he
was an accomplished bunter beating
out 27 of 35 bunt attempts for hits
in 72. In both 1973 and 1974 he
topped the loop in hits.
In
1976 his string of four straight
batting titles was halted when he
lost the crown on the final day of
the season to George Brett. It was
one of the most controversial
batting races in history. That
season he was moved from second base
to play first, a position he held
the rest of his career.
Carew had his career year in 1977
when he made a serious run at the
.400 batting mark, last attained by
Hall of Famer Ted Williams. Williams
believed Carew had an excellent
chance to reach .400, especially
considering his speed.
Carew followed his 1977 masterpiece
with his final batting title in
1978, hitting .333. But during the
season he entered a war of words
with Twins owner Calvin Griffith.
The two debated his salary for 1979,
and Carew hinted he would like to be
traded to a contending team, and
soon the Yankees, Giants, and Angels
were making offers. He eventually
was dealt to the California Angels
in spring training 1979. That season
he helped the team to the playoffs,
his first taste of post-season since
1970.
In
the following seasons he continued
to top the .300 mark and fit nicely
in the middle of the Angels
star-studded lineup. In 1982 the
Halos returned to the ALCS, losing
in heartbreaking fashion. Carew
managed just a .176 batting average.
For his career, Carew batted .220
(11-for-50) with one RBI in 14
playoff games.
During the 82 campaign, Carew
suffered three hairline fractures in
his right hand after punching Twins
pitcher Darrell Jackson. Jackson had
triggered a brawl when he knocked
down several Angel batters,
including the normally mild-mannered
Carew. Despite the injury, Carew put
together his longest hitting streak
25 games.
In
1983 Carew got off to one of the
fastest starts in baseball history,
and on May 7 he was leading the
league with an amazing .500 average.
Of course he tapered off, but still
hit .300 for the final time despite
injuries. Two seasons later, in
1985, he collected his 3,000th hit
off Twins left-hander Frank Viola on
August 4th. That season, after
batting a respectable (for anyone
else) .280, he retired with 3,053
base hits after no team showed
interest in his free agency. Both
the Twins and the Angels retired his
uniform #29. He was a first ballot
Hall of Famer in 1991.
>>>
Book Rod Carew for Your Event
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