OT: RIP Tony Gwynn

[Orioles1954]

Just passed away from cancer. A true throwback.

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Very sad, had no idea he was this bad. Lost a great player and better person


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[yanks12025]

Rip

[chris6net]

Shocking. I didn't even know he was sick
RIP Tony!

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by chris6net

Shocking. I didn't even know he was sick
RIP Tony!

Wow! I didn't know that either. So sad.

[the 'stache]

Friggin' cancer.

RIP Tony. Great hitter, and an even better man.

[packs]

Truly sad. Great hitter and always enjoyed his commentary and personality. Seemed like such a likeable guy and helped a lot of kids at SDSU.

[clydepepper]

I will remember his laugh! He truly loved the game.

[bn2cardz]

My dad's favorite player growing up my dad would buy anything Gwynn related. Whenever birthday's or father's day would come I would attempt to find a Gwynn at a card shop and sell or trade cards from my collection to get it for him.

I have so many childhood memories focused around Gwynn, including meeting him at a local grocery store signing in Omaha NE. Also learning how to hit and field by watching his instructional videos constantly.

[nebboy]

There is a tread for worst HOF, well Tony can easy be said BEST HOF you can't ask for a nicer guy.

Short story - I walked into my local food store in 91 and I saw Tony sitting at a card table by front door. With no signs or anything saying who he was or what he was doing there. I walked over and started talking, we talked for 1/2 hr. No one even stopped but me. I went home got some cards to be sign and came back, still no one had stopped to talk but me. Store didn't do right with their promotion but for me I got a one on one Q&A with a further HOF.
Truly priceless.

He will be missed!!

[auggiedoggy]

Definitely one of the good guys. A true professional and a great role model. I wasn't even aware of his health situation so this came as quite a shock!

RIP Tony.

[Joem36]

Tony and I share the same birthday May 9. I was proud to share a birthday with him. What a great guy. He will be missed.

[btkpath]

How tragic!!

One of the players that I admired most growing up. A sad day for all!

[DerekMichael]

Man. I just saw this. This is seriously depressing.

He always seemed like such a kind person, and he was by far one of the absolute best hitters of my lifetime. He is kind of larger than life down where I live, and I am sure to all baseball fans.

I remember when I was a kid, he was hitting something like .394 before the strike, isn't that right? Absolutely amazing.

RIP Mr. Gwynn. One of the all time greats, no question.

[Sean]

Yeah, that strike took away his chance to achieve something that would be remembered for ages. But he never showed any bitterness over his lost opportunity.

[brianp-beme]

I was a lifetime Dodgers fan even after having moved to San Diego for years. Tony was a big part of me gradually switching my allegience to the Padres--I loved the way he hit and played the game.

Even before I made the switch I was appluading whenever he got a hit when the Dodger came to town. And I love the fact the way he decided to become the manager for SDSU. I know the baseball community will miss him, but so will San Diego--he was practically royalty there.

Brian

[deadballfreaK]

I just heard the news and it makes me feel like throwing up. I knew he had cancer, but had the idea that he caught it in time and was in recovery. I am actually crying as I try to type. He was one of the truly great. Like Stan Musial you can't find anyone with a bad word to say about him. Wasn't he the one who practically invented watching video tape?

[bnorth]

I have always hated Tony for totally shellfish reasons. Even though I think my all time favorite player Wade Boggs was a better hitter in their primes Tony ended his career with better numbers. With that said RIP Tony you are a legend.

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by Sean

Yeah, that strike took away his chance to achieve something that would be remembered for ages. But he never showed any bitterness over his lost opportunity.

The strike cost him .400. I've always felt that way, and the numbers back it up, Sean.

He played 10 games in August, right before the strike hit. How was he doing in August, you may ask?

He had 19 hits in 40 at bats. He was hitting .475 in August. And in those 40 at bats..he struck out one time.

Tony was in the zone.

His 1994 performance was part of maybe the greatest five year hitting demonstrations in modern baseball history. From 1993 to 1997 (age 33 to 37), he hit .358, .394, .368, .353, and .372. His composite batting average for those 5 years was .368. And remember, by this point in his career, Tony had added weight. His knees were betraying him. And when you consider that Tony had changed his approach at the plate, what he accomplished was all the more impressive. Read this article on Deadspin about his chance meeting with Ted Williams at the 1992 All Star Game.

http://deadspin.com/how-tony-gwynn-c...ege-1591491368

Tony went from hitting .309, .317, .317 from 1990 to 1992 to the mind-boggling five year streak I referred to. Hell, at ages 40 and 41, when he was just a part time player, with only 229 at bats between those two seasons, he still hit .323.

The man was incredible.

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

From Bleacher Report: He finished his MLB tenure with 3,141 hits, a .338 batting average and an incredible 790-434 walk-to-strikeout total in 9,288 at-bats.

[clydepepper]

He did not do as well against aging HOFs (Niekro, Carlton, Seaver, Sutton ), but once he adjusted (i.e. saw enough video) he began to feast on them:

Ryan - .302
Glavine - .303
Pedro - .314
Schilling - .390
Maddux- .415
Smoltz- .444

Doug Glanville said earlier today, 'He was indefensible ' and none of today's 'shifts' would have worked on him.

I seem to recall Maddux or Glavine saying that you could never have a game plan for him.

[RTK]

I spent better than half of his career watching him from the right field bleachers at Wrigley. He worked pitchers, pitchers didn't work him. It was almost a script; take the first pitch, maybe the second, foul off a few then rip a line drive stand up double in the gap. It's really sad to see him go. I was aware of his cancer but thought it was under control. Gone far too soon.

[gregr2]

Did I read it hear somewhere that he was one of the very first players to study tape of pitchers prior to each game?

[itjclarke]

Stay classy ESPN.. I just watched intro to the 11pm (PST) SportsCenter and they made no mention of Gwynn in the intro. World Cup, Tim Duncan's Legacy (I get both of those), but then teased with an opposite field HR by Giancarlo Stanton and a start by Verlander. Yeah, that HR was pretty nuts, but I think the passing of one of the greatest hitters of the past 40 years is probably worth mention in the intro.

[RedlegsFan]

Tony. What a wonderful human being. I know he was always one of the greats, but his character and beliefs always outshined his celebrity in my opinion. I guess God needed him back. Tony. The human.

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[the 'stache]

Just saw this. How good was Gwynn?

He faced Greg Maddux 107 times, more than any other pitcher. Gwynn hit .415 off of him, and never struck out.

That's incredible.

Man, I am sad. Loved Gwynn.

[the 'stache]

Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz faced him 287 times, and they struck him out a combined 3 times. Wow.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

Just saw this. How good was Gwynn?

He faced Greg Maddux 107 times, more than any other pitcher. Gwynn hit .415 off of him, and never struck out.

That's incredible.

Man, I am sad. Loved Gwynn.

Maddux made his living off of making hitters think balls were strikes. Gwynn was probably the one guy who he couldn't fool.

[kailes2872]

If you have not seen it, the Olbermann tribute was fanatstic

http://deadspin.com/keith-olbermann-...ium=socialflow

[clydepepper]

Bill - I enjoy your passion for the game

Brian - I cannot come up with any more encouraging words for you as you make your Lebron, uh, decision.

But seriously, do what makes you happy...Baseball will be here when you return.

[mrvster]

brought a tear to my eye.....a childhood hero to me.....I would ride my bike to buy '83 topps and find some rookies of him...Keith O.'s commentary was great...I am just saddened by this very much.....prayers to his family and friends....rest in Peace Mr. Gywnn....rest in peace....

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by kailes2872

If you have not seen it, the Olbermann tribute was fanatstic

http://deadspin.com/keith-olbermann-...ium=socialflow

Thank you for sharing this, Kevin. I used to watch Keith's show religiously. I had to set my DVR to record it, as some nights I just didn't feel up to watching it live. But ESPN kept moving his show all over the place, so I'd get Sportscenter, or Nascar weekly, or something else instead of his show. I ended up just canceling it, and of course, I would have missed this.

Seeing/hearing him tear up at the end really got to me, too. But it's ok. Tony was one of a kind.

[ValKehl]

This fantastic tribute to Tony Gwynn & Don Zimmer by Tom Boswell, the dean of Wash., DC, sports writers, appears in today's Washington Post. I guarantee that you'll be glad you took the time to read it!
Val
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports...9f1_story.html