The baseball community lost one of its most beloved members, San Diego Padre Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn. He was 54-years-old and had been suffering from the effects of salivary gland cancer.
Gwynn was the rare superstar in the post-free agency period who a) played his entire career with one franchise, b) was beloved by the fans and the media yet c) did not rely on power to achieve success.
He broke into the big leagues with San Diego in 1982 after being drafted in the third round out of San Diego State. He was also drafted to the NBA.
Despite the girth he added later on in his career, Gwynn was a tremendous base runner early on. He stole 56 bases in 78 tries in 1987. He also had seasons with 40, 37, 33 and 26.
Over the duration of his 20-year career, Gwynn compiled a tremendous career. He hit .338 with 135 home runs, 1,138 RBI and 3,141 hits. He was a 15-time All Star, won eight batting titles, won five Gold Gloves and won seven Silver Slugger Awards. The stats he was able to accrue over the years pales in comparison to the impact he had on a daily basis.
Incredibly, he never struck out more than 40 times in a season, he struck out only 434 times in 9,288 at bats. To put that in context, Adam Dunn struck out 598 times in 1,512 at bats from 2010-2012.
He also never hit under .309 in a full season and never had under a .355 OBP. Essentially, he was the model of consistency.
As noted by Tim Kurkjian on ESPN, he had “5.5 hole” written on his cleats to remind him to aim for the hole between the shortstop and third baseman.
Aside from his talent on the field, Gwynn was revered for his personality. He had an infectious laugh, he spoke with an unmistakable southern drawl and he was dedicated to being a family man and his Christian faith.
His son, Tony Gwynn Jr., plays for the Philadelphia Phillies and he is on the bereavement list
