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Carew
When Rod Carew retired in 1985, following twelve seasons with the Minnesota Twins and seven with the California Angels, he had amassed seven batting titles, more than three thousand hits, and eighteen All-Star selections and was considered one of the best pure hitters to ever play the game. While his baseball career is well documented—Rookie of the Year in 1967 and a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection in 1991—this compelling chronicle of Carew’s life extends far beyond the baseball diamond.
Carew is the candid autobiography of a baseball legend—from his years growing up in a segregated barrio in Panama to his move to Harlem at the age of fourteen, from the sandlots of the Bronx to the highest ranks of major league stardom. Working with noted New York Times sportswriter Ira Berkow, Carew writes memorably of his baseball career and his philosophy and approach to hitting—including his historic quest as a Minnesota Twin in 1977 for the first .400 season since 1941—but he also deals frankly with his early poverty, an unhappy relationship with an abusive father, and the racial discrimination that became more pronounced due to fame and an interracial marriage.
First published in 1979, this new edition has a foreword by All-Star center fielder Torii Hunter and a new afterword by Carew covering the end of his baseball career and his post-baseball life—notably his induction into the Hall of Fame, his years as a hitting instructor, and the tragic loss of his daughter Michelle to leukemia. Carew is a forthright and fascinating account, revealing the public and private stories that illuminate one of baseball’s greatest and most respected players.
Carew is the candid autobiography of a baseball legend—from his years growing up in a segregated barrio in Panama to his move to Harlem at the age of fourteen, from the sandlots of the Bronx to the highest ranks of major league stardom. Working with noted New York Times sportswriter Ira Berkow, Carew writes memorably of his baseball career and his philosophy and approach to hitting—including his historic quest as a Minnesota Twin in 1977 for the first .400 season since 1941—but he also deals frankly with his early poverty, an unhappy relationship with an abusive father, and the racial discrimination that became more pronounced due to fame and an interracial marriage.
First published in 1979, this new edition has a foreword by All-Star center fielder Torii Hunter and a new afterword by Carew covering the end of his baseball career and his post-baseball life—notably his induction into the Hall of Fame, his years as a hitting instructor, and the tragic loss of his daughter Michelle to leukemia. Carew is a forthright and fascinating account, revealing the public and private stories that illuminate one of baseball’s greatest and most respected players.
268 pages, Paperback
First published May 22, 1979
27 people want to read
About the author
Rod Carew
10 books2 followersRodney Cline Carew is a Panamanian-American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman, first baseman and designated hitter from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels. The most accomplished contact hitter in Twins history, he won the 1977 AL Most Valuable Player Award, setting a Twins record with a .388 batting average. Carew appeared in 18 straight All-Star Games and led the AL in hits three times, with his 239 hits in 1977 being the twelfth most in a season at the time. He won seven AL batting titles, the second most AL batting titles in history behind Ty Cobb, and on July 12, 2016, the AL batting title was renamed to the Rod Carew American League batting title.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 28, 2018
Rod Carew is considered one of the best pure hitters in baseball history. With seven batting titles, more than 3,000 hits and 18 All-Star selections, he was a first-ballot Hall of Fame player elected in 1991. When he was still a player, he penned a memoir of his life and baseball career to that point with sportswriter Ira Berkow. Additional information, especially on his life after baseball, and a foreword by Torii Hunter was published in 2010. This review covers the latter publication.
What struck me most about the entire book, whether it was discussing his childhood, his time in the minor leagues or his stellar Major League career, was his candidness. If something bothered him or he felt it was wrong, he didn’t mince words in this book. Whether he was talking about his father, the frugality of the owner of the Minnesota Twins at that time, Calvin Griffith, or the perceived mistreatment he received from others, the reader will certainly know how Carew felt. The reader may not always agree and may even close the book with the perception that he was a moody or even arrogant person. I believe that is a positive for reading the book as the reader will learn who the real Rod Carew is.
His discussions about hitting are just as good as when he would step into the batter’s box as much can be learned about his methods and theories on hitting. Something that was well known during his career is that he employed many different batting stances depending on the pitcher or situation. He explains why he would use certain stances as well as describe the unique construction of his bats and the way he held the bat which appeared to be very loose. These were fascinating revelations, even if Carew fans like me know this information already.
He was raised in Panama in a family that didn’t have much money and his father was not always present (something that the reader is reminded of throughout the book even during Rod’s adulthood) but his love for baseball is reflected on what he did to ensure he had a ball and glove to play the game. When he and his family were brought to the United States, he was quickly discovered by baseball scouts. His story about how the Twins wanted to make sure he was signed before anyone else knew about his talent was entertaining.
Carew spent the first 12 years of his career with the Twins where he won all seven of his batting titles. In 1979, just before writing this book, he was traded to the California Angels as the cash-poor Twins couldn’t afford to sign him to a new contract and traded him for four players rather than lose him to free agency. His time with the Angels and his life after baseball is covered in the new material. He experienced tragedy during this time, with the death of his daughter Michelle and subsequent divorce, as well as good times. He fondly writes about meeting and marrying his second wife Rhonda and his time spent back with the Twins as a roving coach.
Overall, this is a very good memoir first written at the peak of his career. Some readers might be turned off by the tone of his words on events and people that he did not like but as stated earlier, he comes across as honest in these passages. Readers who are Twins or Carew fans will enjoy this book.
http://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/201...
What struck me most about the entire book, whether it was discussing his childhood, his time in the minor leagues or his stellar Major League career, was his candidness. If something bothered him or he felt it was wrong, he didn’t mince words in this book. Whether he was talking about his father, the frugality of the owner of the Minnesota Twins at that time, Calvin Griffith, or the perceived mistreatment he received from others, the reader will certainly know how Carew felt. The reader may not always agree and may even close the book with the perception that he was a moody or even arrogant person. I believe that is a positive for reading the book as the reader will learn who the real Rod Carew is.
His discussions about hitting are just as good as when he would step into the batter’s box as much can be learned about his methods and theories on hitting. Something that was well known during his career is that he employed many different batting stances depending on the pitcher or situation. He explains why he would use certain stances as well as describe the unique construction of his bats and the way he held the bat which appeared to be very loose. These were fascinating revelations, even if Carew fans like me know this information already.
He was raised in Panama in a family that didn’t have much money and his father was not always present (something that the reader is reminded of throughout the book even during Rod’s adulthood) but his love for baseball is reflected on what he did to ensure he had a ball and glove to play the game. When he and his family were brought to the United States, he was quickly discovered by baseball scouts. His story about how the Twins wanted to make sure he was signed before anyone else knew about his talent was entertaining.
Carew spent the first 12 years of his career with the Twins where he won all seven of his batting titles. In 1979, just before writing this book, he was traded to the California Angels as the cash-poor Twins couldn’t afford to sign him to a new contract and traded him for four players rather than lose him to free agency. His time with the Angels and his life after baseball is covered in the new material. He experienced tragedy during this time, with the death of his daughter Michelle and subsequent divorce, as well as good times. He fondly writes about meeting and marrying his second wife Rhonda and his time spent back with the Twins as a roving coach.
Overall, this is a very good memoir first written at the peak of his career. Some readers might be turned off by the tone of his words on events and people that he did not like but as stated earlier, he comes across as honest in these passages. Readers who are Twins or Carew fans will enjoy this book.
http://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/201...
April 12, 2011
Carew is a memoir of Rod Carew's life and career in baseball co-written by Ira Berkow. The style is simple and straight-forward and seemingly well balanced.
Rod Carew started his life in a poor family in Panama with a less than perfect father. His talent as a batter brought Rod and eventually most of his family to the U.S.,where he played for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels.
Hitting the baseball was always a strength for Carew, winning multiple batting titles and the American League MVP in 1977, but defensively he had his problems (most notably commiting 33 errors in 1974). On a personal level he seems to be a basically good guy who is a bit overprotective of his health and one who takes offense too easily from slights real or imagined. These negative tendencies lessen as he matures and becomes a husband and a father. As a player, he was always willing to help anyone who asked him with advice and instruction.
There are lots of insights into the game and his team-mates and opponents and it is interesting to see his journey of development as a person and a player. This is a good book that any baseball fan will enjoy.
Rod Carew started his life in a poor family in Panama with a less than perfect father. His talent as a batter brought Rod and eventually most of his family to the U.S.,where he played for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels.
Hitting the baseball was always a strength for Carew, winning multiple batting titles and the American League MVP in 1977, but defensively he had his problems (most notably commiting 33 errors in 1974). On a personal level he seems to be a basically good guy who is a bit overprotective of his health and one who takes offense too easily from slights real or imagined. These negative tendencies lessen as he matures and becomes a husband and a father. As a player, he was always willing to help anyone who asked him with advice and instruction.
There are lots of insights into the game and his team-mates and opponents and it is interesting to see his journey of development as a person and a player. This is a good book that any baseball fan will enjoy.
August 29, 2022
Rod Carew, with the help of Ira Berkow, has written a straight-to-the-point, somewhat bland memoir of his years with the Minnesota Twins.
He was critical of Twins' owner Calvin Griffith and his tight pocketbook for paying players, but then, who didn't criticize Griffith then. Carew was also ahead of his time when writing about the fears of being black and dealing with white police officers.
In one of the more bizarre sections, Carew's wife writes several pages about her husband's desire to see other women. Unfaithful? That's okay as long as he comes home. It wreaked of the 1970s attitude toward women and placed Carew in a different light than I had of him before.
I wished he had included more info about the teams he played on and their players. Sure, there's mentions of players he didn't care for much and comments about his friends on the teams. But, for instance, there's only one paragraph about Dave Boswell and the gun incident on the team bus. More, please.
This was the earlier edition, so it may have become better on a second issue. The cover shows Carew in a California Angels uniform, but there's only a scant mention at the end in the epilogue where he was traded.
He was critical of Twins' owner Calvin Griffith and his tight pocketbook for paying players, but then, who didn't criticize Griffith then. Carew was also ahead of his time when writing about the fears of being black and dealing with white police officers.
In one of the more bizarre sections, Carew's wife writes several pages about her husband's desire to see other women. Unfaithful? That's okay as long as he comes home. It wreaked of the 1970s attitude toward women and placed Carew in a different light than I had of him before.
I wished he had included more info about the teams he played on and their players. Sure, there's mentions of players he didn't care for much and comments about his friends on the teams. But, for instance, there's only one paragraph about Dave Boswell and the gun incident on the team bus. More, please.
This was the earlier edition, so it may have become better on a second issue. The cover shows Carew in a California Angels uniform, but there's only a scant mention at the end in the epilogue where he was traded.
March 7, 2023
Thank you, Rod, for opening up your life, mid-Hall of Fame career, to the world in your 1979 book "Carew." Even 40+ years later, this autobiography resonates with this Minnesota Twin fan and baseball historian as a beautiful, courageous display of a sporting icon's life. Carew proved once again why I love autobiographies, in that the subject has full autonomy in depicting their life story; when a select few choose to bare their soul- even if the dark spots overshadow the features that made us root for them in the first place - the reader can only react with admiration for their bravery in showcasing their humanity with nothing held back. Come for the 3,000 hits - stay for the man behind the curtain, the true Rodney Carew.
August 17, 2021
I bought it at Cooperstown a few years ago and finally read my first book about my favorite player. I loved it. I loved learning about his childhood, mixed marriage and why he took up Judaism. I never saw him play so i never knew he was such a poor fielder. It’s amazing to that he progressed so fast after taking essentially two years of not playing as a teen.
May 28, 2013
Has a reputation as a complete, arrogant, self-centered prick. That comes through in his book at times when you read between the lines.
Otherwise forgettable (I did a paper in grad school on autobiographies of black baseball players, so they tend to blend in).
Read Stranger To The Game instead. Funny, brutal; feels honest.
Otherwise forgettable (I did a paper in grad school on autobiographies of black baseball players, so they tend to blend in).
Read Stranger To The Game instead. Funny, brutal; feels honest.
August 10, 2008
I read this in 5th grade, and I still think it's one of the coolest biographies ever.
October 26, 2010
Great baseball autobiography on my all time favorite Minnesota Twin.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews