Rod Carew quotes:

There is a special sensation in getting good wood on the ball and driving a double down the left-field line as the crowd in the ballpark rises to its feet and cheers. But, I also remember how much fun I had as a skinny barefoot kid hitting a tennis ball with a broomstick on a quiet, dusty street in Panama.

Hitting is an art, but not an exact science.

Harmon Killebrew was a gem. I can never thank him enough for all I learned from him. He was a consummate professional who treated everyone from the brashest of rookies to the groundskeepers to the ushers in the stadium with the utmost of respect.

I get a kick out of watching a team defense me. A player moves two steps in one direction and I hit it two steps the other way. It goes right by his glove and I laugh.

I get a kick out of watching a team defense me. A player moves two steps in one direction and I hit it two steps the other way. It goes right Stan Musialby his glove and I laugh.

Our commitment to coaches will be realized via TeamCarew, a grassroots marketing program that will provide them with insight and tools to teach the art and science of hitting.

The way they dress here (California), your head is always in the stands. All those bikinis, your eyes get tired.

When you've learned to believe in yourself, there's no telling how good a player you can be. That's because you have the mental edge.

Your first hit in the majors - that's tops. It means you're on your way. When you get the first hit, then you can get the rest.

Do you believe you're a starter or a benchwarmer? Do you believe you're an all-star or an also- ran? If the answers to these questions are the latter, your play on the field will reflect it. But when you've learned to shut off outside influences and believe in yourself, there's no telling how good a player you can be.

There was a point at which I thought I'd never get the most valuable player, especially the years I played at Minnesota. We never won a pennant there, we were far away from the big media centers of Los Angeles and New York, and I wasn't a flashy power hitter but a guy who hit to spots, who bunted and stole bases.