Rod Carew
⭐ Hall of Fame 1991
Born: 10/1/1945 in Gatun, Canal Zone, Canal Zone
MLB Debut: 1967-04-11 | Final Game: 1985-10-05
Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 170 lbs
Full name: Rodney Cline Carew
Biography
Rod Carew, born in 1945, was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball who made his mark from 1967 until his retirement on October 5, 1985. Over the course of his illustrious career, Carew showcased his exceptional hitting ability, compiling a remarkable .328 batting average across 2,469 games, which placed him among the elite hitters of his era. With a total of 3,053 hits, he became one of the few players in baseball history to surpass the 3,000-hit milestone, further solidifying his legacy in the game. Carew was known for his unique batting stance and exceptional hand-eye coordination, which allowed him to excel in both contact hitting and base running, as he also stole 353 bases.
A testament to his outstanding performance and influence in baseball, Carew earned numerous accolades, including 18 All-Star selections and the prestigious Rookie of the Year honors. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991, recognizing his significant contributions to the sport. Throughout his career, Carew played primarily for the Minnesota Twins and later the California Angels, becoming a beloved figure in both cities. His ability to consistently produce at the plate and his impact on the game have left an enduring legacy that continues to inspire future generations of players.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2469 | 9315 | 1424 | 3053 | 445 | 112 | 92 | 1015 | 353 | 1018 | 1028 | 0.328 | 0.393 | 0.429 | 0.822 | 35141.1 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | MIN | AL | 137 | 514 | 66 | 150 | 22 | 7 | 8 | 51 | 5 | 37 | 91 | 0.292 | 1186.6 |
| 1968 | MIN | AL | 127 | 461 | 46 | 126 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 42 | 12 | 26 | 71 | 0.273 | 194.8 |
| 1969 | MIN | AL | 123 | 458 | 79 | 152 | 30 | 4 | 8 | 56 | 19 | 37 | 72 | 0.332 | 2016.9 |
| 1970 | MIN | AL | 51 | 191 | 27 | 70 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 28 | 4 | 11 | 28 | 0.366 | 981.7 |
| 1971 | MIN | AL | 147 | 577 | 88 | 177 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 48 | 6 | 45 | 81 | 0.307 | 886.0 |
| 1972 | MIN | AL | 142 | 535 | 61 | 170 | 21 | 6 | 0 | 51 | 12 | 43 | 60 | 0.318 | 1338.9 |
| 1973 | MIN | AL | 149 | 580 | 98 | 203 | 30 | 11 | 6 | 62 | 41 | 62 | 55 | 0.350 | 2985.0 |
| 1974 | MIN | AL | 153 | 599 | 86 | 218 | 30 | 5 | 3 | 55 | 38 | 74 | 49 | 0.364 | 3478.1 |
| 1975 | MIN | AL | 143 | 535 | 89 | 192 | 24 | 4 | 14 | 80 | 35 | 64 | 40 | 0.359 | 3368.9 |
| 1976 | MIN | AL | 156 | 605 | 97 | 200 | 29 | 12 | 9 | 90 | 49 | 67 | 52 | 0.331 | 3105.5 |
| 1977 | MIN | AL | 155 | 616 | 128 | 239 | 38 | 16 | 14 | 100 | 23 | 69 | 55 | 0.388 | 5156.0 |
| 1978 | MIN | AL | 152 | 564 | 85 | 188 | 26 | 10 | 5 | 70 | 27 | 78 | 62 | 0.333 | 2680.5 |
| 1979 | LAA | AL | 110 | 409 | 78 | 130 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 44 | 18 | 73 | 46 | 0.318 | 1289.1 |
| 1980 | LAA | AL | 144 | 540 | 74 | 179 | 34 | 7 | 3 | 59 | 23 | 59 | 38 | 0.331 | 1951.5 |
| 1981 | LAA | AL | 93 | 364 | 57 | 111 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 16 | 45 | 45 | 0.305 | 777.3 |
| 1982 | LAA | AL | 138 | 523 | 88 | 167 | 25 | 5 | 3 | 44 | 10 | 67 | 49 | 0.319 | 1533.8 |
| 1983 | LAA | AL | 129 | 472 | 66 | 160 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 44 | 6 | 57 | 48 | 0.339 | 1635.0 |
| 1984 | LAA | AL | 93 | 329 | 42 | 97 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 31 | 4 | 40 | 39 | 0.295 | 254.8 |
| 1985 | LAA | AL | 127 | 443 | 69 | 124 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 39 | 5 | 64 | 47 | 0.280 | 320.6 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 50 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 0.220 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | ALCS | CAL | 5 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0.176 |
| 1979 | ALCS | CAL | 4 | 17 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.412 |
| 1970 | ALCS | MIN | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| 1969 | ALCS | MIN | 3 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.071 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1184 | 1153 | 10930 | 774 | 106 | 1130 |
| 2B | 1130 | 1071 | 2573 | 2928 | 154 | 664 |
| 3B | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | MIN | 2B | 134 | 131 | 289 | 314 | 15 | 60 |
| 1968 | MIN | 2B | 117 | 112 | 262 | 280 | 18 | 48 |
| 1968 | MIN | SS | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 1969 | MIN | 2B | 118 | 106 | 244 | 302 | 17 | 80 |
| 1970 | MIN | 1B | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | MIN | 2B | 45 | 45 | 73 | 122 | 8 | 26 |
| 1971 | MIN | 2B | 142 | 137 | 321 | 329 | 16 | 76 |
| 1971 | MIN | 3B | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972 | MIN | 2B | 139 | 133 | 331 | 378 | 16 | 85 |
| 1973 | MIN | 2B | 147 | 142 | 383 | 413 | 13 | 96 |
| 1974 | MIN | 2B | 148 | 147 | 375 | 416 | 33 | 114 |
| 1975 | MIN | 1B | 14 | 14 | 123 | 8 | 3 | 10 |
| 1975 | MIN | 2B | 123 | 118 | 285 | 369 | 18 | 79 |
| 1976 | MIN | 1B | 152 | 151 | 1394 | 108 | 16 | 149 |
| 1976 | MIN | 2B | 7 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977 | MIN | 1B | 151 | 148 | 1459 | 121 | 10 | 161 |
| 1977 | MIN | 2B | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | MIN | 1B | 148 | 138 | 1362 | 105 | 16 | 134 |
| 1978 | MIN | 2B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | MIN | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | CAL | 1B | 103 | 102 | 804 | 55 | 10 | 101 |
| 1980 | CAL | 1B | 103 | 102 | 897 | 57 | 6 | 82 |
| 1981 | CAL | 1B | 90 | 90 | 877 | 60 | 5 | 90 |
| 1982 | CAL | 1B | 134 | 130 | 1339 | 94 | 12 | 115 |
| 1983 | CAL | 1B | 89 | 88 | 890 | 42 | 6 | 94 |
| 1983 | CAL | 2B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | CAL | 1B | 83 | 80 | 724 | 59 | 15 | 73 |
| 1985 | CAL | 1B | 116 | 109 | 1055 | 65 | 7 | 121 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 1184 |
| Second Base | 1130 |
| Third Base | 2 |
| Shortstop | 4 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Designated Hitter | 68 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Bob Feller Act of Valor Award - HOF Player | |
| 1985 | Player of the Week | Week of 1985-08-02 |
| 1983 | Player of the Month | May |
| 1983 | Player of the Week | Week of 1983-05-06 |
| 1980 | Player of the Month | June |
| 1978 | TSN All-Star | 1B |
| 1977 | Most Valuable Player | |
| 1977 | Player of the Month | September |
| 1977 | Player of the Month | June |
| 1977 | Player of the Week | Week of 1977-06-25 |
| 1977 | Roberto Clemente Award | |
| 1977 | TSN All-Star | 1B |
| 1977 | TSN Major League Player of the Year | |
| 1977 | TSN Player of the Year | |
| 1976 | Player of the Week | Week of 1976-09-03 |
| 1975 | Player of the Week | Week of 1975-06-06 |
| 1975 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1974 | Player of the Month | May |
| 1974 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1973 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1972 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1969 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1968 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1967 | Rookie of the Year | |
| 1967 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1967 | TSN Rookie Player of the Year |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | CAL | AL | $875,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $875,000 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 26th | 5.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1978 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 11th | 46.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1977 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 1st | 273.0 | 392 | 12 |
| 1976 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 5th | 71.0 | 336 | 1 |
| 1975 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 9th | 54.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1974 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 7th | 70.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1973 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 4th | 83.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1972 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 14th | 16.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1969 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 10th | 30.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1967 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 1st | 19.0 | 20 | 19 |