Tony Gwynn has passed from cancer at an all too young age.
He was a great player and an even better player. As a hardcore Yankee fan there are very few people I think of with total respect and admiration but he was one of the few. Like Kirby Puckett and Robin Yount and Cal Ripken he was a true representative of his team. He was an honorable man. A great player. A winner. Someone who was a true role model.
One of my favorite jokes of all time was when we were all making fun of Joe Biden and the fact that he was not a "Real Catholic." We said stuff like "Joe Biden eats meat on Fridays." But my favorite joke was "Joe Biden thinks Padre Pio is when Tony Gwynn takes a leak in the outfield."
He will be missed. May he rest in peace.
11 comments:
RIP Tony.
Slap hitter for average.
Sometimes his power would surprise you.
Lefty, Rod Carew kind of guy. Could place the ball like a billiard master.
One of the few players I can unreservedly say would have been a "True Yankee" if he played on our team.
Derek Jeter is a very similar player except of course that he was not as good a hitter. Jeter is a better winner and leader but both are great people and true role models for players and people everywhere.
Tony is more of a family man and Jeter more of a bachelor swinger but they both keep their business out of the papers pretty much and have a lot to be said for their class and style.
Spending time in San Diego I really came to like Gwynn. His voice always got on my nerves, but I did like that he sounded like a white hick from Arkansas. By the way, so does Willie "ET" McGee.
Gwynn spent the last years of his life coaching SDSU. My bride and I go to lots of games. Gwynn built a beautiful ballpark for the school. You could tell he had the respect of his players and opponents. Always even tempered. Gwynn could have had a broadcast career but he chose to stay home w/ his family. The past few years have been hard to watch. He took a leave of absence this past season in March. Tony went around SoCal telling and SHOWING kids the ravages of chewing tobacco. After his most recent surgery it was hard for Tony to talk. As they say, Tony Gwynn could wake up on Christmas morning, grab a bat, and hit line drives. He was a ballplayer, family man, a good guy. My prayers for his family, his ordeal is over and he is @ peace w/ the Good Lord.
One last story. There was a local kid who played HS baseball in San Diego. The kid could throw hard but was a coach potato. He was 40 lbs. overweight and had no work ethic. Gwynn motivated the kid to get in shape physically and mentally. We saw the kid pitch many times for SDSU. You have seen him pitch also. He's Steven Strasburg.
Never got to see him enough during his career, a real shame..
Great hitter. Yep, reminded me of Carew. Too bad about the cancer. Dead at 54, ouch.
I think some will switch to chewing gum after this.
This news shocked me, as I hadn't heard about his illness.
No relation to Uncle Herman, I'm guessing.
Great story about Gwynn & Strasburg, nick.
No relation to Uncle Herman, I'm guessing.
Did you ever see Herman hit line drives when he tried out for the Dodgers back in the day? He knocked down a scoreboard!
ChipS, Thanks. My bride loved to see Strasburg pitch, he was a man among boys. When he pitched the park was packed and there were more scouts w/ radar guns than State Troopers on the Jersey Turnpike. Scott Boras could sometimes be seen strolling about schmoozing. Strasburg, depending on the opponent, would usually have a couple hitters who could handle him. The rest were just trying to make contact. The guy has a GREAT curveball. My bride loved the look on a #8 hitter's face when, after seeing several fastballs, got their knees buckled by the hook.
Post a Comment