Just over six months ago, former Twins great Rod Carew had a massive heart attack. His heart stopped twice during that "widowmaker," and he's told he's lucky to be alive.
A near-death experience can impact a person in a lot of ways. It has made Carew grateful and turned him into an advocate for preventive heart health. Those two sentiments collided Monday, with Carew throwing out the first pitch at the Twins' home opener at Target Field. He used the opportunity as a platform to again urge people to get their hearts checked. But the occasion also brought a surge of emotion as he considered just what had transpired in the past year.
"I almost lost it out there," Carew said, when asked about how he felt walking onto the field. "This is home."
The secondary thought: "Don't bounce the darn thing," he said. He took care of that, too, delivering a clean toss to the Twins' Joe Mauer.
Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.
