A five-hit game is a rare feat for most major leaguers—a once-in-a-life performance that many never execute. Hall of Famer Rod Carew delivered seven five-hit games in 19 seasons, the first coming 50 years ago today in just his 20th big league game.
While the Twins struggled through the first two months of the 1967 season, the 21-year-old rookie quickly showed he was up to facing major league pitching. On May 8, 1967, in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak, Carew collected five hits in a 7-4 loss to the Washington Senators.
That day Carew stroked four singles and his first major league double. The first two hits—including the double—came off Washington starter Phil Ortega, and he singled three more times off two Washington relievers. Carew pushed batting average over the .300 mark, where it would stay for more than three months (and most of his career).
Collecting the Twins’ first five-hit game in two years—and the first of his career—the rookie wasn’t exactly impressed. “It’s good to get the hits,” he said after the game. “But when you don’t win, you don’t get any thrill out of it.”
Carew’s first five-hit game jumpstarted his Rookie of the Year candidacy. He lashed three more hits against Washington pitching the next day—reaching base in 11 consecutive plate appearances in a three-game stretch—and in the next week delivered two more three-hit performances. After going 3-for-4 and driving in three runs in a 5-2 win over California on May 19, he was batting .340 in his first 100 at-bats.
The rookie adjusted quickly to how pitchers worked him at the start of his major league career. Initially they pitched him inside, but soon he was facing a steady diet of inside stuff and backed off the plate to center the meaty part of the bat on pitches. He took a similar approach to being worked inside as friend and road roommate Tony Oliva.
“Instead of pulling the inside pitches, I drive the ball into left field,” the lefthanded hitter explained. “That’s natural for me. I hit that way in the minor leagues.” And it worked.
After ranking among the league batting leaders near midseason, Carew finished the year at .292. It was one of only four seasons he failed to bat .300, but at year’s end he was named the American League’s top rookie for his impressive debut season.
I will post about the 1967 Twins and the wild AL pennant race all summer long, using material from my upcoming book, which I’ve tentatively titled The Glory Years of the Minnesota Twins: Rock ‘n’ Roll, War and Peace, the Civil Rights Movement and Baseball in the 1960s. I also post on my author page on Facebook.
While the Twins struggled through the first two months of the 1967 season, the 21-year-old rookie quickly showed he was up to facing major league pitching. On May 8, 1967, in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak, Carew collected five hits in a 7-4 loss to the Washington Senators.
That day Carew stroked four singles and his first major league double. The first two hits—including the double—came off Washington starter Phil Ortega, and he singled three more times off two Washington relievers. Carew pushed batting average over the .300 mark, where it would stay for more than three months (and most of his career).
Collecting the Twins’ first five-hit game in two years—and the first of his career—the rookie wasn’t exactly impressed. “It’s good to get the hits,” he said after the game. “But when you don’t win, you don’t get any thrill out of it.”
Carew’s first five-hit game jumpstarted his Rookie of the Year candidacy. He lashed three more hits against Washington pitching the next day—reaching base in 11 consecutive plate appearances in a three-game stretch—and in the next week delivered two more three-hit performances. After going 3-for-4 and driving in three runs in a 5-2 win over California on May 19, he was batting .340 in his first 100 at-bats.
The rookie adjusted quickly to how pitchers worked him at the start of his major league career. Initially they pitched him inside, but soon he was facing a steady diet of inside stuff and backed off the plate to center the meaty part of the bat on pitches. He took a similar approach to being worked inside as friend and road roommate Tony Oliva.
“Instead of pulling the inside pitches, I drive the ball into left field,” the lefthanded hitter explained. “That’s natural for me. I hit that way in the minor leagues.” And it worked.
After ranking among the league batting leaders near midseason, Carew finished the year at .292. It was one of only four seasons he failed to bat .300, but at year’s end he was named the American League’s top rookie for his impressive debut season.
I will post about the 1967 Twins and the wild AL pennant race all summer long, using material from my upcoming book, which I’ve tentatively titled The Glory Years of the Minnesota Twins: Rock ‘n’ Roll, War and Peace, the Civil Rights Movement and Baseball in the 1960s. I also post on my author page on Facebook.