As most of you already know, today is a very sad day in the baseball world. Tony Gwynn passed away at the age of 54 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Gwynn is one of those rare transcendent players - it didn't matter which team you rooted for, you respected and appreciated the contributions that Gwynn made to the game of baseball over his illustrious 20 year career. His 8 career batting titles ranks second all-time behind Ty Cobb (tied with Honus Wagner)... not bad company. His career batting average of .338 ranks 20th all-time and stands as a truly remarkable feat given the time which he played. In fact, of the names ahead of him on the all-time batting average list, none played after 1960.
Gwynn is also one of the few players that made three of our All-Time Teams. You'll see his name on our 1980's and 1990's All-Decade teams as well as the All-Time Padres roster.
But stats aside, Gwynn will be remembered for so much more than his on-field prowess. I will fondly remember for for his smile and his one-of-a-kind voice; he was a true prince and an ambassador for the game that I love so much.
Of course, my thoughts and prayers go out to current Phillie Tony Gwynn, Jr. and the rest of the Gwynn family. I pray you're comforted by fond memories and a peace in knowing that the man we refer to as Mr. Padre is in a better place. Although the world lost a great man, heaven gained a pretty good 2-hole hitter.
During times like this, I like to dial into the local markets to see what they're saying. I encourage you to check out a couple of links below:
Click Here for a piece written by Jim Salisbury at CSN.com which talks about the relationship between Gwynn Jr. and his father:
Click Here for a personal account from Jackie Preciado at The Friarhood on the impact of Tony Gwynn (she and her father are 30 year season ticket holders).
Gwynn is one of those rare transcendent players - it didn't matter which team you rooted for, you respected and appreciated the contributions that Gwynn made to the game of baseball over his illustrious 20 year career. His 8 career batting titles ranks second all-time behind Ty Cobb (tied with Honus Wagner)... not bad company. His career batting average of .338 ranks 20th all-time and stands as a truly remarkable feat given the time which he played. In fact, of the names ahead of him on the all-time batting average list, none played after 1960.
Gwynn is also one of the few players that made three of our All-Time Teams. You'll see his name on our 1980's and 1990's All-Decade teams as well as the All-Time Padres roster.
But stats aside, Gwynn will be remembered for so much more than his on-field prowess. I will fondly remember for for his smile and his one-of-a-kind voice; he was a true prince and an ambassador for the game that I love so much.
Of course, my thoughts and prayers go out to current Phillie Tony Gwynn, Jr. and the rest of the Gwynn family. I pray you're comforted by fond memories and a peace in knowing that the man we refer to as Mr. Padre is in a better place. Although the world lost a great man, heaven gained a pretty good 2-hole hitter.
During times like this, I like to dial into the local markets to see what they're saying. I encourage you to check out a couple of links below:
Click Here for a piece written by Jim Salisbury at CSN.com which talks about the relationship between Gwynn Jr. and his father:
Click Here for a personal account from Jackie Preciado at The Friarhood on the impact of Tony Gwynn (she and her father are 30 year season ticket holders).
