Curt Flood
American baseball player (1938-1997)
Tony Gwynn
American professional baseball right fielder; 1960-2014
Tony Gwynn, nicknamed “Mr. Padre”, was a legendary baseball player who spent his entire 20-year career with the San Diego Padres. He was a 15-time All-Star, won 8 batting titles, and finished his career with a .338 batting average, the highest since Ted Williams. Gwynn was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, his first year of eligibility.
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About the Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith Gwynn Sr.in Major League Baseballfor the San Diego Padres. The left-handed hitting Gwynn won eight batting titles in his career, tied for the most in National Leaguehistory. He was a 15-time All-Star, and won seven Silver Slugger Awards and five Gold Glove Awards. Gwynn stayed with the Padres his entire career, and he played in the only two World Series appearances in San Diego’s franchise history. Having hit over .300 for 19 straight seasons, Gwynn retired with a .338 career batting average, the highest mark since Ted Williams retired in 1960. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, his first year of eligibility.
Gwynn attended San Diego State Universitybut was honored as an All-American in baseball. Gwynn was selected by the Padres in the third round of the 1981 MLB draft as the 58th overall pick. He made his major-league debut the next year and captured his first batting title in 1984 when San Diego advanced to its first-ever World Series. Gwynn was a poor fielder in college, but received his first Gold Glove in 1986. The following year, he won the first of three consecutive batting titles. Beginning in 1990, Gwynn endured four straight injury-shortened seasons, and then had four consecutive batting titles starting in 1994, when he batted a career-high .394 in a strike-shortened season. Gwynn played in his second World Series in 1998 before reaching the 3,000-hit milestone the following year. He played two more seasons, hampered by injuries in both, and retired after the 2001 season with 3,141 career hits.
A contact hitter, Gwynn regularly hit the ball to the opposite field. After first meeting the Hall of Famer Williams in 1992, Gwynn modified his hitting approach and became more adept at pulling the ball and using the entire field, as well as hitting for more power. In his early career years, he was also a threat to steal bases. Widely considered the greatest player in Padres history, Gwynn regularly accepted less money to remain with the small-market team. After he retired from playing, the Padres retired his No. 19 in 2004. Gwynn became the head baseball coach at his alma mater and also spent time as a baseball analyst. He died of salivary gland cancer in 2014 at the age of 54.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tony Gwynn played in the only two World Series appearances in the San Diego Padres’ franchise history.
Tony Gwynn retired with a .338 career batting average, the highest mark since Ted Williams.
Tony Gwynn won eight batting titles in his career, tied for the most in National League history.
Tony Gwynn played both college baseball and basketball for the San Diego State University Aztecs, and was an all-conference player in both sports.
Tony Gwynn was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, his first year of eligibility.
Tony Gwynn made his major-league debut with the San Diego Padres in 1982.
Tony Gwynn won his first batting title in 1984 when the San Diego Padres advanced to their first-ever World Series.