ROD CAREW

One of the best pure hitters of all time, Rod Carew collected 3,053 hits and seven batting titles over an 18-year career. Only Ty Cobb, Tony Gwynn and Honus Wagner fared better. Born on a train in the Panama Canal Zone, Carew moved with his mother to New York at age 17 and signed with the Twins a year later. After three seasons in the minors, Carew was promoted to Minnesota where he hit .292 and was named the 1967 Rookie of the Year. He went on to hit over .300 in 15 straight seasons with the Twins and Angels, earning a .328 batting average and an MVP award in 1977. The 18-time All-Star remains a national hero in Panama.

G2469 AB9315 R1424 H3053 2B445 3B112 HR92 RBI1015 AVE.328

Text and images courtesy of Dick Perez’s The Immortals - An Art Collection of Baseball’s Best