Baseball Hall of Fame Members - Rod Carew - Silhouette - Unisex T-Shirt
Rod Carew “He has no weakness as a hitter. Anything you throw he can handle.” – Catfish Hunter For a generation of American League baseball fans, Rod Carew was the definition of “batting champion.” The owner of a .328 career average and 3,053 hits to go along with seven batting titles and 18 All-Star Game selections, Carew tormented pitchers with a smooth swing from a crouched stance, using incredible hand-eye coordination developed as a youth in Panama. Born Oct. 1, 1945, on a train in the Canal Zone and named for the doctor who delivered him, Rodney Cline Carew used a broomstick and bottle caps as his first bat and balls before moving to New York City as a teenager. Carew did not play high school baseball, but was spotted by Minnesota Twins scouts on a semi-pro team and was signed as an amateur free agent in 1964. As a big league rookie second baseman in 1967, Carew hit .292 with 51 RBI, earning an All-Star Game selection and winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award. The next season,