Legendary baseball player Rod Carew became an American citizen last month. As his long-time friend, I had the rare pleasure of attending his swearing-in ceremony.

Fourteen-year-old Carew arrived here from Panama 64 years ago, and if baseball GMs had any idea of the impact that he would make on the game, they would have sent a limo for him.

Rod won nearly every award a professional baseball player could: the 1967 American League Rookie of the Year, the 1977 AL MVP, and seven batting titles. He made the All-Star team 18 times and finished his incredible career with a first-ballot election into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Oh yeah, he also accumulated 3053 hits.

But Carew’s life was hardly all fun and fame.

Catastrophe struck early and hard in the form of every parent’s nightmare. In 1996, Rod’s daughter Michelle lost her epic 10-month fight against leukemia, a battle which had mesmerized the nation.

Then in 2015, Rod’s heart flat-lined four times en route to a hospital. The attack damaged his heart and kidney so severely that he needed a total transplant of both organs. A 71-year-old Rod Carew was at death’s brink.

Then fate intervened.

Konrad Ruland, a 29-year-old pro football player had tragically passed from a brain aneurysm and would donate his heart. Konrad’s gracious gift gave Rod another lease on life.

In June of this year, Rod had to go under the knife for a total knee replacement. Apparently, fame doesn’t eliminate all of life’s hurdles.   

After the moving ceremony, Rod told me why it took him so long to become an American citizen. 

“I always felt an obligation to the young people of Panama. I am proud to be a citizen of Panama, and I wanted to set an example. Why now you ask? I felt it was time to be a dual Panama and United States citizen. This is the fulfillment of a dream.”

Rod’s dream would benefit both countries.

In recognition of the many honors bestowed on him during his baseball career, Rod Carew Stadium is now the national stadium of Panama. For his adopted country, Carew served a six-year stint in the United States Marine Reserves during the Vietnam War. This was an eye-opener for me. Who would have thought the stint in the Marines wouldn’t have made him a citizen of this great country?

In honor of Rod Carew, a new American citizen, we are re-running the Rod Carew podcast from two years ago.  

Billy and I hope you enjoy it.