Rod Carew: One Tough Out
For a generation of American League baseball fans, Rod Carew was the definition of “batting champion.” An insecure boy from Panama raised by a brutal father, Carew ascended to baseball stardom, tormenting pitchers with a smooth swing from a crouched stance and winning seven batting titles on his way to the Hall of Fame.
It wasn’t until he lost his beautiful 17-year-old daughter to an aggressive and rare form of leukemia that Carew had to re-gather himself and find new purpose outside of baseball. Then he was struck with a near-fatal heart attack and discovered that the heart transplant he received came from a 29-year-old pro football player whom he happened to have met years before. Now the parents of Konrad Reuland listen to their son's heart beating strong in Carew's chest, and Carew works to honor his daughter's wish that he "make a difference."
Carew uses his own journey to show readers that regardless of what you may be facing–heart disease, cancer, divorce, an abusive relationship, premature retirement–you can persist and grow with the kind of grace, character, and determination that he learned to cultivate on the field and beyond.
Rod Carew played for the Minnesota Twins and California Angels, winning Rookie of the Year, seven batting titles, and the 1977 AL MVP award on his way to the Hall of Fame. He continues to serve as an ambassador for the Twins and Angels and is actively involved with Be The Match, Heart of 29, and other charitable organizations. Jaime Aron was Texas Sports Editor for The Associated Press for 13 years before becoming a writer for the national office of the American Heart Association in 2011. He lives in Dallas with his family.
