Happy to add another Hall of Famer to my long-running 1971 "Minor League Days" set, this time the hitting machine Rod Carew, who put in one season as a 20-year-old in 1966 with the Wilson Tobs:
The kid did not disappoint, as he would hit .292 with 28 stolen bases and 64 runs scored over 112 games.
He
was ready for his moment, and the Minnesota Twins would call him up the
following season, where he would march straight to an American League
Rookie of the Year Award.
The
man was a player for the ages, as he would go on to play in 18 All-Star
games, missing only his final season in the Majors in 1985. Just
incredible.
The first nine seasons of his career were as an All-Star second baseman, while the last nine were as a first baseman.
The man topped .300 15 years in a row, with a high of .388 in 1977 on
his way to a Most Valuable Player Award and capturing the public’s
attention with his .400 chase late in the season.
A clear-cut Hall of Fame player, he was inducted on his first year of eligibility in 1991 when he garnered 90.5% of the vote, which leaves me with the question: who the hell are the 9.5% who DIDN’T vote for him!!!???
A clear-cut Hall of Fame player, he was inducted on his first year of eligibility in 1991 when he garnered 90.5% of the vote, which leaves me with the question: who the hell are the 9.5% who DIDN’T vote for him!!!???
3053 hits, a .328 career average, 353 stolen bases and 15 straight seasons of .300+ batting.
The man was a hitting machine, and I'm so glad I got to see him play during his magnificent career!