One Tough Out: Fighting Off Life's Curveballs

by Rod Carew, Jaime Aron

Overview

An unforgettable story of insight, inspiration, and faith

Growing up in a small town in the Panama Canal Zone, Rod Carew and his friends spent the long, temperate days hitting bottle caps with broomsticks, outfitted with mitts molded from paper bags, cardboard, and string. Each broomstick bat was customized by its owner; Carew's, slathered in black paint with yellow trim, bore in orange the number 42—that of his idol, Jackie Robinson. It was in this fashion, years before he would move to New York City in search of a better life, Carew honed the skills that would one day turn him into a perennial All-Star.

For 19 seasons, Carew was a maestro in the batter's box. Uncoiling from his crouched stance, he seemed to guide the ball wherever he wanted on the way to a whopping seven batting titles and a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

If only everything in life had been as easy as he made hitting look.

In One Tough Out: Fighting Off Life's Curveballs, Carew reflects on the highlights, anecdotes, and friendships from his outstanding career, describing the abuse, poverty, and racism he overcame to even reach the majors. In conversational, confessional prose, he takes readers through the challenges he's conquered in the second half of his life, from burying his youngest daughter to surviving several near-fatal bouts with heart disease.

He also details the remarkable reason he's alive today: the heart transplant he received from Konrad Reuland, a 29-year-old NFL player he'd met years before. Carew explains how that astonishing connection was revealed and the unique bond he and his wife, Rhonda, have since forged with his donor's family. As Robinson once said, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." As Carew recounts his story, Robinson's words take on an even greater resonance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781641254038
Publisher:	Triumph Books
Publication date:	05/12/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

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.

Table of Contents

Prologue xiii

Part I

1 Rough Start 3

2 The One Thing That Came Easy: Hitting 21

3 Breaking In 35

4 Collecting Silver Bats 53

5 Becoming a Man the Right Way 69

6 Chasing .400 87

7 Welcome to the Club 109

8 Batting Wizard 131

Part II

9 Back in the Big Leagues 165

10 Pish 173

11 "Daddy, Please Help" 179

12 Burying My Baby 195

13 Starting Over 209

14 A Blessed Life 219

Part III

15 The Promise 231

16 "Honey, We've Got a Lot of Work to Do" 247

17 Heart of 29 257

18 Worsening. Waiting 275

19 The Greatest Gift 283

20 Saving Lives, Together 293

Epilogue 315

Acknowledgments 319

Editorial Reviews

“Rod Carew was more than a great baseball player. He is a person of character and grace. Those qualities are evident in the way he has faced his life’s many triumphs and considerable adversities.” —Bob Costas, broadcaster


“Carew, now 74, puts a human touch into the book that extends beyond baseball and sports.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune  


“Rod was one of the best pure hitters to ever play the game. His approach to every at-bat made him a tough out for opposing pitchers. I’m sure he will carry that same positive approach with the recent health issue he is facing.” —Joe Torre, Hall of Fame manager


 “Hitting is an art form and this guy never made mistakes. In the dictionary of baseball, the definition of ‘tough out’ has his picture there, no words. He was an example of how to hang tough. Life for him was and is the same way. In tough seas, Rod will be a tough out to get.” —Reggie Jackson, Hall of Fame slugger


“Woven throughout every story is God’s redemptive plan and steadfast love.” —Sports Spectrum 


“His batting titles came from dedication to honing his skills with a tremendous amount of intelligence and respect for his teammates and the game. His will to win inspired his teammates, and if it took a bunt, a triple, or a steal of home, he would do it. Rod will stare out at the situation and come up with his best. He is a classy man who has my respect and that of millions of other fans.” —Johnny Bench, Hall of Fame catcher


“Often funny, sometimes sad and occasionally remarkable, just like Carew’s extraordinary life. Certain aspects of his story you can’t even make up.” —Duluth Tribune 


“Rod Carew’s success on the baseball field is well-documented. He was Rookie of the Year in 1967 and MVP in 1977, won seven batting titles, accumulated 3,053 career hits, and, in 1991, was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Yet despite all those achievements, his true legacy is what he has accomplished off the field—first, in helping to battle childhood cancers, and, now, putting a very personal face on heart disease.” —Armen Keteyian, Contributor to 60 Minutes and coauthor of Tiger Woods 

From the Publisher