Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn was a prominent Major League Baseball player renowned for his exceptional hitting and loyalty to the San Diego Padres, where he spent his entire 20-year career. Born on May 9, 1960, in Los Angeles, California, Gwynn initially excelled in both baseball and basketball, earning a scholarship for basketball at San Diego State University. However, he chose to pursue baseball, ultimately being drafted by the Padres in 1981. Over his career, Gwynn amassed 3,141 hits and maintained a remarkable .338 batting average, earning eight National League batting titles, which ties him for the most ever. He was known for his meticulous approach to hitting, studying videotape to enhance his skills.
Gwynn's accolades include 15 All-Star selections and multiple Gold Glove awards for defensive excellence, reflecting his prowess both at bat and in the field. After retiring in 2002, he transitioned to coaching at San Diego State University and continued to impact the community through the Tony and Alicia Gwynn Foundation. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, solidifying his legacy as one of the game's greatest hitters and a beloved figure in baseball history.
Tony Gwynn
Baseball player
One of the most consistent star performers in Major League Baseball history, Gwynn tied the National League record with eight batting titles and set San Diego Padres franchise records for most runs, hits, doubles, triples, runs batted in, stolen bases, and highest batting average. He recorded more than three thousand career hits and batted over .300 in eighteen consecutive seasons.
Areas of achievement: Sports: baseball; Sports: basketball
Early Life
Anthony Keith Gwynn (gwihn) was born on May 9, 1960 in Los Angeles, California, the second of three sons of Charles Gwynn, a warehouse manager, and Vandella Gwynn, a postal worker. His brothers, Charles, Jr., and Chris, also played professional baseball. Gwynn grew up in Long Beach, California, where he graduated in 1977 from Polytechnic High School.
San Diego State University offered Gwynn a basketball scholarship. Gwynn excelled as a point guard, setting the Aztec career assist record and making the All-Western Athletic Conference team. On the baseball team, he batted over .400 his junior and senior seasons and was named All-WAC.
In June, 1981, the San Diego Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) drafted Gwynn in the tenth round, while the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB) selected him in the third round. Gwynn decided to pursue a professional baseball career. He played outfield for the Walla Walla, Washington, team in the Northwest League in 1981, for Amarillo of the Texas League in 1982, and for Hawaii of the Pacific Coast League in 1983. He led the Northwest League with a .331 batting average in 1981 and spent parts of 1982 and 1983 with the major-league club in San Diego.
Life’s Work
The 5-foot, 11-inch, 200-pound Gwynn, who batted and threw left-handed, paced the National League with a .351 batting average and 213 hits in 1984. He batted .368 to help the Padres defeat the Chicago Cubs in the 1984 National League Championship Series but hit only .263 against the Detroit Tigers in the World Series.
Two years later, his 218 hits and 107 runs topped the National League. Gwynn led the major leagues with a .370 batting average and the National League with 218 hits in 1987. He retained the batting title by hitting .313 in 1988 and .336 in 1989 and paced the majors with 203 hits in 1989. Gwynn batted .317 in 1991 and 1992 and won Gold Glove awards for defensive excellence in 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, and 1991.
In 1993, Gwynn ranked second in batting with a .358 average and recorded six hits in an August 4 game against the San Francisco Giants. In 1994, he set a franchise record by batting a National League-best and career-high .394. No National Leaguer had topped that average since Bill Terry’s .401 in 1930. Gwynn captured another National League batting crown with an MLB-best .368 in 1995. No batter had surpassed .350 three consecutive seasons since Joe Medwick in the 1930’s. In 1996, Gwynn became the seventh major leaguer to amass three straight batting championships and the only player besides Ty Cobb to twice win three straight hitting crowns. In the National League Division Series, he batted .308 against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Gwynn’s pinnacle season came in 1997, when he topped the major leagues with a .372 batting average. Gwynn captured his eighth batting crown, matching Honus Wagner for the most National League hitting titles. He became the first major leaguer to win four batting championships in two different decades and joined Wagner, Rod Carew, and Wade Boggs in winning four straight hitting crowns. Gwynn posted career bests with 17 home runs and 119 runs batted in and personal bests with 68 extra-base hits and 324 total bases. He established club records with 220 hits and 49 doubles and led the National League with 67 multihit games.
In 1998, San Diego enjoyed its best season, notching 98 victories as Gwynn batted .321 with 16 home runs and 69 runs batted in. Gwynn struggled offensively in the Division Series against the Houston Astros and Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves. The New York Yankees swept the Padres in the World Series, but he batted .500 with 8 hits and 3 runs batted in.
In 1999, Gwynn became the twenty-second major leaguer to record 3,000 career hits. In 2000, he broke Wagner’s National League record by surpassing .300 in eighteen consecutive seasons. A year later, Gwynn became just the seventeenth major leaguer to play at last 20 major league seasons with the same club. He retired at the end of the 2002 season.
As of 2010, Gwynn remained the Padres’ leader in career batting average (.338), runs scored (1,383), hits (3,141), doubles (543), triples (85), runs batted in (1,138), stolen bases (319), walks (790), and games (2,440). He ranked second in on-base percentage (.388) and third in home runs (135) and slugging percentage (.459). Gwynn struck out only 434 times in 9,288 career at bats.
Gwynn was named to the National League All-Star team fifteen times. The Sporting News selected him to its Silver Slugger team seven times and its All-Star team five times. The Padres designated him the team most valuable player seven times. Gwynn received the 1995 Branch Rickey Award for outstanding community service and the 1999 Robert Clemente Man of the Year Award for combining sportsmanship and community involvement with on-field excellence. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
In 2002, Gwynn was named head baseball coach at San Diego State University. He married Alicia Cureton in 1981; they have a son, Anthony II, also a major-league outfielder, and a daughter, Anisha. The Tony and Alicia Gwynn Foundation funds many organizations supporting needy children.
Significance
Gwynn fashioned a stellar twenty-year career with San Diego, recording 3,141 career hits, a .338 career batting average, and a record-tying eight National League batting crowns. A true student of hitting with an admirable work ethic, he was one of the first players to study videotape to hone his batting skills. The only player to win four batting titles in two separate decades and one of four players to win four consecutive batting titles, he paced the National League a record seven times in singles and hits. His Gold Glove awards, stolen bases, and All-Star selections reflect his superior all-around play.
Further Reading
Bloom, Barry. Tony Gwynn: Mr. Padre. Champaign, Ill.: Sports Publishing, 1999. Well-written biography intended for juvenile readers covering Gwynn’s career through 1998. Describes how Gwynn became one of baseball’s greatest hitters and an outstanding role model, winning the admiration of Padre fans with his dedication and loyalty.
David, Porter, and Joe Naiman. The San Diego Padres Encyclopedia. Champaign, Ill.: Sports Publishing, 2002. This comprehensive history of the San Diego Padres has an extensive biographical profile of Gwynn that describes his accomplishments and includes his complete statistics.
Gwynn, Tony, and Jim Geschke. Tony. Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1986. Published early in Gwynn’s career, this book describes his youth and baseball development. Includes black-and-white photos, including some from Gwynn’s pre-playing days.
Gwynn, Tony, and Jim Rosenthal. Tony Gwynn’s Total Baseball Player. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1992. Gwynn gives young players solid, heavily illustrated instructions on baseball fundamentals, including hitting, fielding, and base running.
Gwynn, Tony, and Roger Vaughan. The Art of Hitting. New York: GT, 1998. Gwynn describes his hitting technique, with accompanying photos, and explains why he remained with the Padres rather than moving to a major-market team.
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