Rod Carew: The Fight of His Life premieres Tuesday, February 16 at 9:00 p.m. ET
Featuring his first national television interview since suffering a major heart attack last September, Hall of Famer Rod Carew opens up to host Bob Costas in Rod Carew: The Fight of His Life, a new episode of MLB Network Presents, premiering Tuesday, February 16 at 9:00 p.m. ET. Filmed from Carew's home in Southern California and Minnesota's Target Field, the one-hour program features Carew providing vivid detail of his near-death experience and his arduous recovery process. In a career where he hit better than .300 in 15 consecutive seasons, Carew reflects on his legendary playing days and how he is committed to raise awareness for heart health in the years to come. The following is a clip from Rod Carew: The Fight of His Life, the final MLB Network Presents installment of the offseason: http://atmlb.com/1KbFA1s
Wearing a battery-powered device to keep his heart stable, Carew explains how this traumatic time mirrored the experience of losing his 18-year old daughter Michelle to leukemia 20 years ago. Carew's wife Rhonda and his heart surgeon, Dr. Dan Meyer, talk about Carew's surgery and his courageous spirit as he ultimately awaits a heart transplant. Former California Angels pitcher Clyde Wright discusses how Carew's heart attack perhaps saved his own life in recent months. Carew's Hall of Fame career is covered in the episode, including his 18 All-Star seasons with the Twins and California Angels and his pursuit of hitting .400 during the 1977 season. In his first public appearance since suffering the heart attack, the program captures Carew's emotional interactions with Twins fans at Minnesota's TwinsFest two weeks ago. Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, former All-Star teammate Mudcat Grant and Twins general manager Terry Ryan highlight Carew's terrific career and what he has meant to the state of Minnesota for more than 45 years. With support from the Minnesota Twins organization and the American Heart Association, Carew expresses his commitment to use his experience as a way to raise awareness for heart health.
Hosted by Bob Costas, MLB Network Presents is a series of documentaries and access-driven profiles. Launched in January of 2015, the series has produced programs covering many different storylines, including The Story of Billy Bean and The Nasty Boys: The 1990 Cincinnati Reds, and more recently Holy Cow! The Story of Harry Caray, The Colorful Montreal Expos and Dusty: A Baseball Journey.