CAREW, ROD

born Oct. 1, 1945, Gatun, Panama byname of Rodney Cline Carew professional American League baseball player, who was one of the great hitters of the modern era. Carew began playing baseball as a schoolboy in Gatun, Panama. He went with his mother to New York City in 1962 and played sandlot ball there. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. From 1964 through 1967 he played on minor-league teams in the Minnesota Twins organization and joined the parent club in 1967, when his performance earned him the Rookie of the Year award. Carew played second base until 1976 and first base thereafter. He led his league in hitting seven times (1969, 197275, and 197778), his highest average being .388 in 1977; that same year he was named the Most Valuable Player in the American League. He also stole home seven times in 1969, a league record. In 1979 he was traded to the California Angels. With them he batted more than .300, as he had for his last 10 years with the Twins. He retired in 1986, with a lifetime batting average of .328. He became a national hero in Panama and retained Panamanian citizenship. Carew was also a serious amateur photographer.