RIP Tony Gwynn

RIP to one of the good guys in professional sports. Prayers go out to the family and his namesake who is a reserve outfielder with the Phillies.

 

This one hits hard. I always felt a kinship with Tony Gywnn because we were born the same day, probably within 50 miles of each other.

RIP to one of the great ones.

 

This is so sad. Wonderful player whom I was privileged to talk to professionally a couple of times. Just awful.

 

1st game: July 19, 1982, started CF against the Phillies, 2-4, single, double, sac-fly.
1st hit: double off Sid Monge

2,440th and last game: October 7, 2001, pinch-hit against Rockies, grounded out to short.

° all 2,440 games with the Padres
° 3,141 hits (seasons of 213, 211, 218, 203, 220)
° 543 doubles
° 85 triples
° 135 homers
° 1,138 RBIs
° 319 stolen bases
° .338 career average
° 10,232 plate apps (9,288 ABs)
° 15 All-Star Games

Pitcher he faced most: Gregg Maddux, 107 PAs, 39-94, .415 average

Notable pitchers he faced at least 50 ABs:

° Glavine, .303 (30-99)
° Mike Scott, .368 (27-85)
° Tom Browning, .360 (31-86, 4 HR)
° Rick Mahler, .402 (33-82)
° Fernando, .321 (25-78)
° Gooden, .243 (17-70)
° Smoltz, .444 (32-72)
° Nolan Ryan, .302 (19-63)
° Ron Darling, .441 (26-59)
° Drabek, .469 (23-43)
° Bob Welch, .292 (14-48)

° Playoffs: 27 games, .306 (33-108), 11 RBIs
° World Series: 9 games, .371 (13-35), HR, 3 RBIs

° 5 Gold Gloves
° 7 Silver Slugger awards

One of 20 grads from Long Beach Poly to play in MLB, including Utley:

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/teams/hs/hs.asp?H=637

I always wanted Dodgers pitchers to get him out just a little more because he was just so damn good.

I really wish I could find the interview he and Maddux did late in their careers. Classic case of serve-it-up, knock-it-down comedy.

 

Gwynn was a regular position player until he was 39. That is a career, right there.
Awful news. One of the true gentlemen in all of sports.

 

Damn sad news.
Best hitter I can remember watching (I'm 45) and one of the nicest guys in sports.

 

Also, fuck chewing tobacco.

 

I always figured with each new season that it would be the year when Tony Gwynn would hit .400. And if he couldn't quite get there, it seems pretty clear that nobody will ever get there again. RIP, Mr. Padre.

 

One of the true gentlemen in all of sports.
[/quote]
Agreed. RIP.

 

Damn, this really hits home because he was born only 3 years before me. Hard to say I admired him because he was from a division rival but he could sure hit and appeared to have just been a great person. May he RIP.

 

wtf? did heaven really need one of the greatest hitters and baseball-promoting men of our generation. I feel guilty for out-living him (I turned 57 on Friday)...

the absolute only positive out of this is if it scares away any tobacco chewers out anyone thinking about giving it try. but the extensive reconstructive surgery to his face should have been enuf of a psa. his death at 54 is effin' piling on.

RIP, tony gwynn.

 

Whenever I saw him play, it always seemed like he would get three hits. Such a great player and, from what everyone says, an even better human being.

RIP