Rod Carew
Encyclopedia
Rodney Cline "Rod" Carew (born October 1) is a former Major League Baseball
first baseman
, second baseman
and coach
. He played from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins
and the California Angels
and was elected to the All-Star
game every season except his last. In 1991, Carew was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame
. While Carew was never a home run threat (hitting fewer than 100 career home runs), he made a career out of being a consistent contact hitter
. He threw right-handed and batted left-handed
.
and was born to a Panama
nian mother on a train in the town of Gatún
, which, at that time, was in the Panama Canal Zone
. The train was racially segregated
; white
passengers were given the better forward cars, while non-whites, like Carew's mother, were forced to ride in the rearward cars. When she went into labor, a physician
traveling on the train, Dr. Rodney Cline, delivered the baby, who was named Rodney Cline Carew in appreciation.
When Carew was age 14, he and his family emigrated to the United States. He lived in the Washington Heights section of the borough of Manhattan, New York City. Although Carew attended George Washington High School, which former MLB star Manny Ramirez
also attended, he never played baseball for the high school team. Instead, Carew played semi-pro baseball for the Bronx Cavaliers, which is where he was discovered by Minnesota Twins' scout, Monroe Katz (whose son, Steve, played with Carew on the Cavaliers). Katz then recommended Carew to another Twins' scout, Herb Stein, who signed Carew to an amateur free agent contract (at the Stella D'Oro Restaurant in the Bronx) on June 24, 1964.
Starting his minor league career, Carew was assigned to play second base with the Melbourne (FL) Twins in the Cocoa Rookie League and hit .325 over the final 37 games of the season. Promoted to the Single-A Orlando Twins in the Florida State League
the following season, Carew hit .303 with 20 doubles, 8 triples and 1 home run. Carew would spend the 1966 season back at Single-A, but this time with the Wilson Tobs
in the Carolina League
.
Rookie of the Year award in and was elected to the first of 18 consecutive All-Star game appearances. Carew stole
home seven times in the 1969 season to lead the majors, just missing Ty Cobb
's Major League record of eight and the most in the major leagues since Pete Reiser
stole seven for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946. Carew's career total of 17 steals of home currently puts him tied for 17th on the list with former New York Giant MVP Larry Doyle and fellow Hall of Famer Eddie Collins
. In , Carew led the American League
in batting
, hitting .318, and remarkably, without hitting a single home run
for the only time in his career. Carew is to date the only player in the American League or in the modern era
to win the batting title with no home runs. In 1975, Carew joined Ty Cobb
as the only players to lead both the American and National Leagues in batting average for three consecutive seasons. In the season, Carew batted .388, which was the highest since Boston's
Ted Williams
hit .406 in , and won the American League's
Most Valuable Player award.
Seeing time predominantly at second base early in his career, Carew moved to first base in September and stayed there for the rest of his career. In 1979, frustrated by the Twins' inability to keep young talent, and after considerable conflict
with team owner Calvin Griffith
, Carew announced his intention to leave the Twins. On February 3, Carew was traded to the Angels
for outfield
er Ken Landreaux
, catcher
/first baseman
Dave Engle
, right-handed pitcher
Paul Hartzell
, and left-handed pitcher
Brad Havens
. Although representing a considerable infusion of talent, the Twins had been unable to complete a possibly better deal with the New York Yankees
in January in which Carew would have moved to New York in exchange for Chris Chambliss
, Juan Beniquez
, Dámaso García
, and Dave Righetti
.
On August 4, , Carew joined an elite group of ballplayers when he got his 3,000th base hit against Minnesota Twins left-hander Frank Viola
at the former Anaheim Stadium
. The season would be his last. After the season, Rod Carew was granted free agency, after the Angels declined to offer him new contract, but he received no offers from other teams. Carew suspected that baseball owners were deliberately colluding
to keep him (and other players) from signing. The suspicion was justified; on January 10, , nearly a decade after his forced retirement, arbitrator Thomas Roberts ruled that the owners had indeed violated the rules of baseball's second collusion agreement, which they had previously agreed to abide by. Rod Carew was awarded damages equivalent to what he would have likely received in : $782,036. Carew finished his career with 3,053 hits and a lifetime batting average
of .328.
Carew was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
in , his first year of eligibility, the 22nd player so elected. In , he ranked #61 on The Sporting News'
list of 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was nominated as a finalist for Major League Baseball's
All-Century Team
. Carew has also been inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum
Hall of Fame.
Through 2011, Carew had the best all-time career batting average of all Twins (.334), the second best on-base percentage (.393; tied with Buddy Myer
), was fourth in intentional walks (99), and was fifth in hits (2,085) and stolen bases (271; while second in caught stealing, at 123). He also had the best all-time career on base percentage of all Angels (.393), the second-best batting average (.314), and was sixth in both intentional walks (45) and sacrifice hits (60).
. However, he married a Jewish woman
, Marilynn Levy, and his three daughters were raised in the Jewish tradition. One source propagating the misconception that Carew converted to Judaism is the 1994 song, The Chanukah Song
, written and performed by entertainer Adam Sandler
, in which he lists famous Jews
of the 20th century. He names Carew with these words: "...O.J. Simpson... not a Jew! But guess who is: Hall of Famer Rod Carew—he converted". Sandler has reiterated this mistake in later incarnations of the song.
Adding to the confusion is an article written in Esquire
magazine in . Sportswriter
Harry Stein released his "All Time All-Star Argument Starter" article which consisted of five different baseball teams, each based on ethnicity. Carew was erroneously named the second baseman on Stein's All-Jewish team.
while playing with the Angels and remained there after his retirement. Carew was hired as the Angels hitting coach on November 5, 1991 and served in a similar capacity with the Milwaukee Brewers
. He is credited with helping develop young hitters like Garret Anderson
, Jim Edmonds
, and Tim Salmon
. Carew has also worked at various times as a minor league and spring training hitting and base running coach for the Twins and serves as an international youth baseball instructor for Major League Baseball.
Rod married second wife Rhonda in December 2001 and they have two children, Cheyenne and Devon. Devout Christians, the family attends Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA.
On January 19, 2004, Panama City's
National Stadium
was renamed "Rod Carew Stadium". In , Carew was named the second baseman on the Major League Baseball Latino Legends Team
.
Carew's number 29 was retired by the Twins on July 19, 1987. Carew has had his number retired by the Angels in 1986 and was the 4th inductee into the Angels' Hall of Fame on August 6, 1991.
Carew's youngest daughter from his first marriage, Michelle, was diagnosed with leukemia
in September 1995 and her rare Panamanian-Jewish heritage lowered the possibility of finding a matching donor for a bone marrow
transplant. In spite of Carew's pleas for those of similar ethnic background to come forward, no matching donor was found and Michelle died on April 17, 1996 at the age of 18. A statue of her has been installed in Angel Stadium of Anaheim
.
in and was a regular user up to , when a cancer
ous growth in his mouth was discovered and removed. The years of use had heavily damaged his teeth and gums, and Carew has spent a reported $100,000 in restorative dental work.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
, second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
and coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
. He played from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
and the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
and was elected to the All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
game every season except his last. In 1991, Carew was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
. While Carew was never a home run threat (hitting fewer than 100 career home runs), he made a career out of being a consistent contact hitter
Contact hitter
In baseball, the term contact hitter is used to describe a hitter who does not strike out often. Thus, they are usually able to use their bats to make contact with the ball and put it in play...
. He threw right-handed and batted left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
.
Early life
Carew is a ZonianZonian
A Zonian is a person associated with the Panama Canal Zone, a political entity which existed between 1903 and the absorption of the Canal Zone into the Republic of Panama between 1980 and 2000....
and was born to a Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
nian mother on a train in the town of Gatún
Gatún
Gatun is a small town on the Atlantic Side of the Panama Canal, located south of the city of Colón at the point in which Gatun Lake meets the channel to the Caribbean Sea...
, which, at that time, was in the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
. The train was racially segregated
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
; white
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
passengers were given the better forward cars, while non-whites, like Carew's mother, were forced to ride in the rearward cars. When she went into labor, a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
traveling on the train, Dr. Rodney Cline, delivered the baby, who was named Rodney Cline Carew in appreciation.
When Carew was age 14, he and his family emigrated to the United States. He lived in the Washington Heights section of the borough of Manhattan, New York City. Although Carew attended George Washington High School, which former MLB star Manny Ramirez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
also attended, he never played baseball for the high school team. Instead, Carew played semi-pro baseball for the Bronx Cavaliers, which is where he was discovered by Minnesota Twins' scout, Monroe Katz (whose son, Steve, played with Carew on the Cavaliers). Katz then recommended Carew to another Twins' scout, Herb Stein, who signed Carew to an amateur free agent contract (at the Stella D'Oro Restaurant in the Bronx) on June 24, 1964.
Starting his minor league career, Carew was assigned to play second base with the Melbourne (FL) Twins in the Cocoa Rookie League and hit .325 over the final 37 games of the season. Promoted to the Single-A Orlando Twins in the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
the following season, Carew hit .303 with 20 doubles, 8 triples and 1 home run. Carew would spend the 1966 season back at Single-A, but this time with the Wilson Tobs
Wilson Tobs
The Wilson Tobs are an amateur baseball team playing in the Coastal Plain League, an NCAA-sanctioned collegiate summer baseball league. The team plays its home games at Historic Fleming Stadium in Wilson, North Carolina. The Tobs were one of the original teams in the Coastal Plain League when the...
in the Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
.
Major league career
Carew won the American League'sAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Rookie of the Year award in and was elected to the first of 18 consecutive All-Star game appearances. Carew stole
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
home seven times in the 1969 season to lead the majors, just missing Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
's Major League record of eight and the most in the major leagues since Pete Reiser
Pete Reiser
Harold Patrick "Pete" Reiser , nicknamed "Pistol Pete," was an outfielder in Major League Baseball during the 1940s and early 1950s. He played primarily for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and later for the Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Cleveland Indians.-Early career:A native of St...
stole seven for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946. Carew's career total of 17 steals of home currently puts him tied for 17th on the list with former New York Giant MVP Larry Doyle and fellow Hall of Famer Eddie Collins
Eddie Collins
Edward Trowbridge Collins, Sr. , nicknamed "Cocky", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman, manager and executive...
. In , Carew led the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, hitting .318, and remarkably, without hitting a single home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
for the only time in his career. Carew is to date the only player in the American League or in the modern era
History of baseball in the United States
The history of baseball in the United States can be traced to the 18th century, when amateurs played a baseball-like game by their own informal rules using improvised equipment...
to win the batting title with no home runs. In 1975, Carew joined Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
as the only players to lead both the American and National Leagues in batting average for three consecutive seasons. In the season, Carew batted .388, which was the highest since Boston's
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
hit .406 in , and won the American League's
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Most Valuable Player award.
Seeing time predominantly at second base early in his career, Carew moved to first base in September and stayed there for the rest of his career. In 1979, frustrated by the Twins' inability to keep young talent, and after considerable conflict
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
with team owner Calvin Griffith
Calvin Griffith
Calvin Robertson Griffith , born Calvin Robertson in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, was a Major League Baseball team owner...
, Carew announced his intention to leave the Twins. On February 3, Carew was traded to the Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
for outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
er Ken Landreaux
Ken Landreaux
Kenneth Francis Landreaux is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball.After graduating from Dominguez High School in Compton, California, Landreaux carried on his education at Arizona State University before joining the California Angels in...
, catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
/first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Dave Engle
Dave Engle
Ralph David Engle is a former Major League Baseball utility player who played for the Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers all of the American League and the Montreal Expos of the National League from 1981 to 1989.-Pro career:A graduate of the University of Southern California,...
, right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Paul Hartzell
Paul Hartzell
Paul Franklin Hartzell is a former professional baseball player who played six seasons for the California Angels, Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball....
, and left-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Brad Havens
Brad Havens
Bradley David Havens is a former Pitcher for the Minnesota Twins , Baltimore Orioles , Los Angeles Dodgers , Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers ....
. Although representing a considerable infusion of talent, the Twins had been unable to complete a possibly better deal with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in January in which Carew would have moved to New York in exchange for Chris Chambliss
Chris Chambliss
Carroll Christopher Chambliss is a former Major League Baseball player who played from to for the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves...
, Juan Beniquez
Juan Beníquez
Juan José Beníquez Torres is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox , Texas Rangers , New York Yankees , Seattle Mariners , California Angels , Baltimore Orioles , Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays...
, Dámaso García
Dámaso García
Dámaso Domingo García Sánchez is a former Major League Baseball player best known for his time spent with the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1980s....
, and Dave Righetti
Dave Righetti
David Allan Righetti is a former left-handed pitcher for various Major League Baseball teams, primarily the New York Yankees. He is currently the pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants and was the first player in history to both pitch a no-hitter and also lead the league in saves in his career...
.
On August 4, , Carew joined an elite group of ballplayers when he got his 3,000th base hit against Minnesota Twins left-hander Frank Viola
Frank Viola
Frank John Viola, Jr. is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins , New York Mets , Boston Red Sox , Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays . A three-time All-Star, he was named World Series MVP with the Twins in 1987 and won the AL Cy Young Award in 1988...
at the former Anaheim Stadium
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim is a modern-style ballpark located in Anaheim, California. It is the home ballpark to Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the American League, and was previously home to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams...
. The season would be his last. After the season, Rod Carew was granted free agency, after the Angels declined to offer him new contract, but he received no offers from other teams. Carew suspected that baseball owners were deliberately colluding
Baseball collusion
Baseball collusion refers to owners working together to avoid competitive bidding for player services or players jointly negotiating with team owners....
to keep him (and other players) from signing. The suspicion was justified; on January 10, , nearly a decade after his forced retirement, arbitrator Thomas Roberts ruled that the owners had indeed violated the rules of baseball's second collusion agreement, which they had previously agreed to abide by. Rod Carew was awarded damages equivalent to what he would have likely received in : $782,036. Carew finished his career with 3,053 hits and a lifetime batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .328.
Carew was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
in , his first year of eligibility, the 22nd player so elected. In , he ranked #61 on The Sporting News'
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
list of 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was nominated as a finalist for Major League Baseball's
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
All-Century Team
Major League Baseball All-Century Team
In 1999, the Major League Baseball All-Century Team was chosen by popular vote of fans. To select the team, a panel of experts first compiled a list of the 100 greatest Major League Baseball players from the past century...
. Carew has also been inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum
Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum
The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame, Inc., was founded in San Francisco, California, in June 1999 by its founder Mr.Gabriel "Tito" Avila, Jr., as a way to honor the greatest Hispanic baseball players of all time. The organization is a not-for-profit institution...
Hall of Fame.
Through 2011, Carew had the best all-time career batting average of all Twins (.334), the second best on-base percentage (.393; tied with Buddy Myer
Buddy Myer
Charles Solomon "Buddy" Myer was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball from 1925 to 1941.An excellent hitter, he batted .300 or better in eight full seasons, and retired with a career average of .303. He walked more than twice as many times as he struck out...
), was fourth in intentional walks (99), and was fifth in hits (2,085) and stolen bases (271; while second in caught stealing, at 123). He also had the best all-time career on base percentage of all Angels (.393), the second-best batting average (.314), and was sixth in both intentional walks (45) and sacrifice hits (60).
Military service
During the 1960s, Carew served a six-year commitment in the United States Marine Corps Reserves as a combat engineer.Confusion over conversion to Judaism
Carew has never formally converted to JudaismJudaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. However, he married a Jewish woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
, Marilynn Levy, and his three daughters were raised in the Jewish tradition. One source propagating the misconception that Carew converted to Judaism is the 1994 song, The Chanukah Song
The Chanukah Song
"The Chanukah Song" is a humorous song written by comedian Adam Sandler with Saturday Night Live writers Lewis Morton and Ian Maxtone-Graham and originally performed by Sandler on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update on December 3, 1994. Sandler subsequently performed the song as part of his...
, written and performed by entertainer Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
, in which he lists famous Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
of the 20th century. He names Carew with these words: "...O.J. Simpson... not a Jew! But guess who is: Hall of Famer Rod Carew—he converted". Sandler has reiterated this mistake in later incarnations of the song.
Adding to the confusion is an article written in Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
magazine in . Sportswriter
Sports journalism
Sports journalism is a form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events.While the sports department within some newspapers has been mockingly called the toy department, because sports journalists do not concern themselves with the 'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports...
Harry Stein released his "All Time All-Star Argument Starter" article which consisted of five different baseball teams, each based on ethnicity. Carew was erroneously named the second baseman on Stein's All-Jewish team.
After retirement
Carew moved to the community of Anaheim Hills, CaliforniaAnaheim Hills, Anaheim, California
Anaheim Hills is a planned community encompassing the eastern portions of the city of Anaheim, in Orange County, California.- Location :Anaheim Hills is located just south of Yorba Linda, California, opposite the 91 freeway at Imperial Highway. The western border is the 55 freeway opposite the...
while playing with the Angels and remained there after his retirement. Carew was hired as the Angels hitting coach on November 5, 1991 and served in a similar capacity with the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He is credited with helping develop young hitters like Garret Anderson
Garret Anderson
Garret Joseph Anderson is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played most of his career with the California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels...
, Jim Edmonds
Jim Edmonds
James Patrick "Jim" Edmonds is a former American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played for the California/Anaheim Angels, the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Diego Padres, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs, and the Cincinnati Reds...
, and Tim Salmon
Tim Salmon
Timothy James Salmon is a former Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter who played his entire career with the California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels...
. Carew has also worked at various times as a minor league and spring training hitting and base running coach for the Twins and serves as an international youth baseball instructor for Major League Baseball.
Rod married second wife Rhonda in December 2001 and they have two children, Cheyenne and Devon. Devout Christians, the family attends Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA.
On January 19, 2004, Panama City's
Panama City
Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
National Stadium
Estadio Nacional de Panamá
Estadio Nacional de Panama, also called Rod Carew Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Panama City, Panama. The stadium has a capacity of 27,000 and was built in 1999....
was renamed "Rod Carew Stadium". In , Carew was named the second baseman on the Major League Baseball Latino Legends Team
Latino Legends Team
The Latino Legends Team was an all-time all-star baseball team selected in 2005 to honor the history of Latin American players in Major League Baseball. The players were chosen by fan voting. Ballots were available both online at MLB.com and at Chevrolet dealerships, and over 1.6 million total...
.
Carew's number 29 was retired by the Twins on July 19, 1987. Carew has had his number retired by the Angels in 1986 and was the 4th inductee into the Angels' Hall of Fame on August 6, 1991.
Carew's youngest daughter from his first marriage, Michelle, was diagnosed with leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
in September 1995 and her rare Panamanian-Jewish heritage lowered the possibility of finding a matching donor for a bone marrow
Bone marrow
Bone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the interior of bones. In humans, bone marrow in large bones produces new blood cells. On average, bone marrow constitutes 4% of the total body mass of humans; in adults weighing 65 kg , bone marrow accounts for approximately 2.6 kg...
transplant. In spite of Carew's pleas for those of similar ethnic background to come forward, no matching donor was found and Michelle died on April 17, 1996 at the age of 18. A statue of her has been installed in Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim is a modern-style ballpark located in Anaheim, California. It is the home ballpark to Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the American League, and was previously home to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams...
.
Chewing tobacco use
Carew began using chewing tobaccoChewing tobacco
Chewing tobacco Chewing tobacco Chewing tobacco (also known colloquially as hoobastank, backy, tobac, doogooos,Hogleg, chewpoos, chits, chewsky, chawsky, dip, flab, chowers, guy, or a wad, as well as referred to as dipsky, snuff, a pinch, a yopper, a Packing a bomb, a tobbackey or packing a...
in and was a regular user up to , when a cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
ous growth in his mouth was discovered and removed. The years of use had heavily damaged his teeth and gums, and Carew has spent a reported $100,000 in restorative dental work.
See also
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- 3000 hit club3000 hit clubIn Major League Baseball , the 3,000 hit club is a term applied to the group of batters who have collected 3,000 or more regular-season hits in their careers. Cap Anson was the first to join the club on July 18, 1897, although his precise career hit total is unclear. Two players—Nap Lajoie and...
- Hitting for the cycleHitting for the cycleIn baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
- DHL Hometown HeroesDHL Hometown HeroesOn September 27, 2006, Major League Baseball announced a list of players, one from each team, voted by MLB fans. Fans were asked to vote for the most outstanding player in the history of each MLB franchise, based on on-field performance, leadership quality and character value.The candidates for...
- Hispanics in the United States Marine CorpsHispanics in the United States Marine CorpsHispanics in the United States Marine Corps, such as Private France Silva who during the Boxer Rebellion became the first Marine of the thirteen Marines of Hispanic descent to be awarded the Medal of Honor, and Private First Class Guy Gabaldon who is credited with capturing over 1,000 enemy...