This Big Loss Is One Angels Won’t Forget

There was a game Wednesday night, so the Angels played. Some said it would be therapy. Besides, it was just what Rod Carew would have wanted, would have expected.

Life goes on, but without Carew’s youngest daughter, Michelle, who died after a seven-month battle with Leukemia.

“You really don’t know what to say at a moment like this,” Angel owner Gene Autry said in a prepared statement. “Michelle was a fighter throughout her entire illness. She displayed an immense amount of courage, as did the rest of her family. Jackie and I wish Rod and his family peace during this difficult time.”

A statement from the Carew family thanking the public for their support and encouraging them to become involved in the National Marrow Donor Program was displayed on the video board before the Angels played the Toronto Blue Jays at Anaheim Stadium.

There was a moment of silence. Over Carew’s retired No. 29 that hangs just beyond the right-field fence, stadium workers placed a banner that read: “Pisher 1977-1996.”

“Pisher” was Michelle’s nickname.

Carew then unexpectedly joined the Angels, standing in street clothes next to Manager Marcel Lachemann, during the U.S. and Canadian national anthems.

The bond between Carew and young Angels such as shortstop Gary DiSarcina and first baseman J.T. Snow has always been strong. After Michelle Carew was diagnosed with Leukemia, the bond only seemed to grow stronger.

Carew, who took a leave of absence as the Angels’ hitting instructor nearly two weeks ago, tried to stay as close as possible during his daughter’s illness. He phoned DiSarcina after the Angels played in Detroit last Friday. He had watched the game on TV and had a few words of advice that couldn’t wait.

“He woke me up,” DiSarcina said. “It was probably 2 o’clock in the morning in Detroit. I could tell he was at the hospital. It was a call he didn’t have to make.”

Carew’s ordeal hit particularly close to home for DiSarcina, whose 2-year-old daughter, Carlee, had a kidney removed last month.

“I think being a parent and having a healthy child can really be taken for granted,” DiSarcina said. “Rod’s had 18 years with Michelle and all of a sudden, he wakes up and something’s wrong.

“If you have an opportunity, go over there [to Children’s Hospital of Orange County, where Michelle was hospitalized] and check out what’s going on. It will open your eyes.

“It’s a feeling of helplessness. You don’t want to bury your child. You want to take the pain away. You want to do anything to change positions with your child.”

The mood in the clubhouse before the game was somber, according to Snow. He said some talked openly, but others were quiet.

“It’s good to talk about it,” Snow said. “For all of us, this is like our second family. Rod’s got a special bond with all the players on this team. When he stepped on the field, you’d never know his daughter was struggling for her life.”

Utility player Rex Hudler also encouraged fans to visit Children’s Hospital. “Go and give some time to some kids who might not make it through the summer,” he said.

Tim Mead, Angel assistant general manager, said: “They [the Carews] were hoping against hope, but it also was something they were preparing for. You could see that today. Rod’s a tough person.”

Said Lachemann: “He was strong through the whole thing. It’s amazing to watch, to see how deeply he feels about his family and his kids. And to lose one and still be as composed as he was.”

“He wants to get back as soon as possible,” Mead said. “This is his other family. It’s a distraction for him, but those three ladies [wife Marilyn and daughters Charryse and Stephanie] are more important.”

* MICHELLE CAREW DIES: Hall of Famer’s daughter, 18, loses a seven-month battle with leukemia. A1

* ANGELS WIN: Chuck Finley went the distance, giving up three hits in a 5-1 victory over Toronto. C4