Carew delivers first cycle in Twins history
Rod Carew ended the 1969 season winning the American League batting title with a .332 average while helping his Minnesota Twins win the inaugural American League West title.
The Twins began the following year in a similar fashion, posting a 24-10 record. And Carew was just as dominant.
Carew started the 1970 season batting .368 in his first 18 games. When asked about possibly batting over .400, Carew told the Kansas City Times: “Impossible; there are so many good pitchers. I’m just swinging where the ball is being thrown. I’m just doing everything naturally.”
But when the Twins arrived in Kansas City on May 18 for a three-game series against the Royals, Carew was batting .407. And it only got better from there.
On May 20, 1970, Carew hit for the cycle.
In the top of the first inning, Royals rookie pitcher Bob Johnson surrendered an up-the-middle single to Carew. The next batter, Tony Oliva, drove a ball to right field and Carew attempted to score but was thrown out at home.
With the score 1-0 in favor of the Royals in the top of the third, with the bases empty, Carew belted a home run to deep left at Municipal Stadium. It was Carew’s third home run of the season and tied the score at 1.
Two innings later, Carew led off by doubling to left against Johnson and then stole third base with no outs. Despite that, Carew would not end up scoring, as Oliva, Harmon Killebrew and Rich Reese were all set down by Johnson.
“I’m just swinging the bat,” Carew told the Austin Daily Herald. “Truthfully, I don’t think I’m doing anything differently up there. I’m just hot.”
After grounding out in the sixth inning, Carew returned in the eighth – with the Twins now leading 6-4 – and tripled off reliever Al Fitzmorris to complete the cycle.
The Twins ultimately won 10-5, improving to 25-10 and completing a three‑game sweep of the Royals. It marked the first cycle in Minnesota Twins history and would be the only one of Carew’s historic career.
By going 4-for-5, Carew raised his batting average to an American League-leading .432.
“Yes, I guess it is an achievement; there’s still a long way to go before this season ends,” Carew told the Kansas City Times. “I’ll keep swinging as I have in the past and hope that the base hits fall in.”
The hits continued to fall for Carew, who was on his way to his best season when he tore ligaments in his right knee on June 22 against Milwaukee while turning a double play at second base. He was hitting .376 at the time but would not play again until Sept. 22, finishing the year with a .366 batting average in 51 games.
In 1991, Carew was elected to the Hall of Fame after a 19-year career where he won seven batting titles, was named to 18 All-Star Games and captured the 1977 AL Most Valuable Player Award.
Khadifi Madison was the spring 2026 Jim Murray Scholars intern at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
