Who is the man: Rod Carew had just completed an injury-plagued season when this card was issued. A rolling block from the Brewers' Mike Hegan tore ligaments in his knee during a June 22, 1970 game, basically ending his season.
Can ya dig it: This is the first time on a Topps card that anyone saw Carew smile. And it would be essentiallly the last time until his 1981 Donruss card.
Right on: Win Twins!
You see this cat Carew is a bad mother: The first time I ever experienced a player flirting with hitting .400 in a season was with Carew in 1977. I can't remember how late in the season he was hitting .400, but I do remember him still over .400 near the end of June. Of course, he finished at .388 and that is bad ass.
Shut your mouth: Carew and his wife were involved in a distressing incident on an airplane after the death of their 18-year-old daughter in 1996. The Carews objected to how a photo of their daughter was being treated and stored by a male flight attendant. The pilot eventually told the Carews to leave the plane and apologize to the flight attendant, who they thought was rude. "I bit my tongue and apologized," Carew said.
No one understands him but his woman: Carew's marriage to his wife, who is Jewish, prompted death threats. For a long time, Carew was thought to have converted to Judaism. But he said publicly a little over a year ago that he once intended to convert but never did (despite what the Adam Sandler Hanukkah song says).
(A word about the back): Carew's stats are always awesome.
It was 1977 when Carew batted .388 and the last day his average was above .400 was July 10. It never went above .390 after July 22.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=carewro01&t=b&year=1977
Gah. Stupid typo. Fixed.
ReplyDeleteCarew has a slight smile on the 1970 Topps Batting leaders card. He would go on to smile on the 1973 Topps and 1979 Batting leaders cards. You're right about his solo cards though. I guess he was happier sharing the spotlight....
ReplyDeleteHe smiles with greater frequency on his '80s cards. Perhaps he was happier (or better paid).
DeleteI met Rod at the National in Chicago several years ago and got his autograph. Before that I was trying to decide on which picture I wanted to buy (you all know that racket) and my wife pointed me to one with the huge afro he used to have. His handler (as you know you have to give the item to be signed to a handler) took the picture and looked at it and said to Rod..."Really?" Rod said "that was the style then" My wife looked down the way and saw an older guy and asked if that was Gordie Howe..who was supposed to be there. I told her no that was Stan Musial. As we were looking down towards Stan I hear "hey Rod" look up and tell my wife "no that's Gordie Howe. He was standing right in front of us shaking Rod's hand. Best experience I have ever had at a card show.
ReplyDeleteEver notice the bat looks photoshopped in his hands? What's going on with that top hand? Odd looking and always bugged me. Sorry it took me 8 years to mention it.
ReplyDelete