Hall Of Famer Rod Carew Undergoes Successful Heart, Kidney Transplant

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — Former Angels Hall of Famer Rod Carew successfully underwent a heart and kidney transplant Friday and is expected to make a full recovery.

The Minnesota Twins said Friday that the procedure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles lasted 13 hours and that Carew is resting in recovery.

The surgery - which began around midnight on Friday - involved removing a device that's kept Carew alive since he nearly died following a heart attack and cardiac arrest 15 months ago, and then transplanting the new heart and also a new kidney to improve his chances for a strong recovery.

Carew, 71, had been on the transplant waiting list for about a month.

Considered one the greatest hitters of all-time, Carew is only the 16th player in MLB history to collect 3,000 hits during his career with the Angels and Minnesota Twins. He's also a seven-time American League batting champion and first-ballot selection to the Hall of Fame.

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