Tony Gwynn has passed

[mabrowndog]

Tony on his hitting approach. Great stuff here.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24C7ecc3pqk
 
 
A half-hour interview from 1997.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkrlQyN9qQA

 

[Al Zarilla]

Wonderful all around man. Before he took ill, I was hoping he'd find his way to a major league managing job. Always read that he was one of Ted Williams favorites along with Nomar. That showed loud and clear at the 1999 all star game. Maybe they can swap hitting yarns up there again. 

 

[SumnerH]

That is absolutely crazy.
 
As a Boggs fanboy back in the mid 80's I always had an eye on how Gwynn was going in the NL.  Oddly enough I didn't feel like it was a competition between the two - I was a mid-teenager and everything in life was competitive.  I absolutely despised Buddy Bell because he 'stole' an All Star selection from Boggs in '84.  But with Gwynn & Boggs I just really liked seeing how one measured up vs the other. And I loved watching him hit.
 
RIP

 
 
Just looking at their stats, and this stuck out at me: Gwynn had 10 points of BA on Boggs (.3387 vs .328 for their careers) and 16 points of slugging, and yet somehow Boggs had 17 points of OPS on Gwynn.  That's a ton of walks.  Boggs averaged 94 BB per 162 games, Gwynn just 52.

 

[mabrowndog]

Last night San Diego State's athletic department was tweeting for hours in celebration of alumnus Kawhi Leonard's NBA Finals MVP Award as part of the Spurs' championship win.
 
Today they're dealing with the passing of the most distinguished athlete ever to wear an Aztecs uniform.

 

[mabrowndog]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Taw0BloL8ns
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRwbCm2eUPw

 

[E5 Yaz]

Gwynn got his 3,000th on his mother's birthday. 
 
Saw an interview this morning where he had said that being with Williams to throw out the first pitch at the ASG in Fenway was his favorite baseball experience.
 
Another story I remember reading was how Gwynn and his wife got chastised by the union for not moving on for a bigger contract, preferring to stay in San Diego.
 
The guy just had more character and a sense of self than any player I remember following closely.
 
Amazing hitter, Gold Glove outfielder, capable of stealing 56 bases in a season, loved his community. That's how a pro career should go.
 
Jayon Stark with some of the more incredible stats
 
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/11092617/mlb-late-tony-gwynn-incredible-hitting-numbers

 

[Bergs]

Such a class act. Very sad.

 

[E5 Yaz]

Life is strange
 
dschoenfield David Schoenfield
Here's a sad note: Tony Gwynn struck out three times in a game just once, 4/14/86. The pitcher who got him all three times? Bob Welch.

 

[Dan to Theo to Ben]

Life is strange
 
dschoenfield David Schoenfield
Here's a sad note: Tony Gwynn struck out three times in a game just once, 4/14/86. The pitcher who got him all three times? Bob Welch.

One 3K game -  297 three-hit games.

 

[redsahx]

He was a great ambassador for the game. May his legend only grow from here.

 

[estreetfan]

Recognizable voice.
Recognizable swing.
Recognizable class.

Rip Mr. Gwynn, you were truly an amazing player to watch and cheer for all those years.
You will be missed!

 

[mauidano]

Chewing tobacco is just evil.  Cancer is evil.  Too many ballplayers still stuff their mouth full. Peavy and Papi come to mind right away. 

 

[The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa]

That is absolutely crazy.
 
As a Boggs fanboy back in the mid 80's I always had an eye on how Gwynn was going in the NL.  Oddly enough I didn't feel like it was a competition between the two - I was a mid-teenager and everything in life was competitive.  I absolutely despised Buddy Bell because he 'stole' an All Star selection from Boggs in '84.  But with Gwynn & Boggs I just really liked seeing how one measured up vs the other. And I loved watching him hit.
 
RIP

 
It was the exact same way with me! Later it pained me to admit that Gwynn was the better player.

 

[smastroyin]

I don't think it should pain you to admit that since it's not really true.  Gwynn was eventually better than Boggs by virtue of being a couple years younger and by being better in his late 30's than Boggs was, but overall Boggs was the better offensive player.  You could argue that Gwynn was better at getting the bat on the ball, but he was worse at taking walks.  Defensively it's probably not worth arguing about but corner outfield versus corner infield and Boggs was generally very good at 3B.  
 
Tony Gwynn was a great great player who absolutely deserves his plaque in the Hall of Fame, but Red Sox fans consistently and loudly greatly underrate how good Boggs was, perhaps because he went to the Yankees or something.
 
Obviously this is very sad news, and hopefully another step toward educating players on healthy habits.  

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Life is strange
 
dschoenfield David Schoenfield
Here's a sad note: Tony Gwynn struck out three times in a game just once, 4/14/86. The pitcher who got him all three times? Bob Welch.

 
 
Never struck out against Maddux, .997 OPS against him.
 
Never struck out against Pedro, only a 676 OPS against him but that was a 314/333/343 line.

 

[E5 Yaz]

I just found it strange, not because of Welch's relative talent, but because they died in such close proximity.

 

[Max Power]

 
 
Never struck out against Maddux, .997 OPS against him.
 
Never struck out against Pedro, only a 676 OPS against him but that was a 314/333/343 line.

 
Never struck out against Mike Maddux in 20 plate appearances, either. Ramon Martinez did get him once, so that's the one thing he can hold over his brother's head.

 

[Dehere]

Two years ago when the All Star Game was in Kansas City the Negro Leagues museum hosted a conversation between Tony Gwynn and Joe Posnanski and it was a captivating hour that played to a full house including Matt Kemp who came just out of personal interest in listening to Gwynn. The most memorable story was Gwynn saying that when he first came up he was actually able to pick up the positioning of a pitcher's fingers on the seams before releasing the pitch, and when he would share what he saw with veteran teammates they would dismiss this as impossible. Gwynn went on to say that because he was a rookie and these guys were big league veterans he actually questioned his own vision for a time and had to learn to trust that he was really seeing what he thought he was seeing. Once he developed the confidence to trust that he could see things his teammates couldn't he broke through as a hitter and never looked back. Amazing to hear that story and appreciate how extraordinary his vision really was.

 

[bosockboy]

Last night San Diego State's athletic department was tweeting for hours in celebration of alumnus Kawhi Leonard's NBA Finals MVP Award as part of the Spurs' championship win.
 
Today they're dealing with the passing of the most distinguished athlete ever to wear an Aztecs uniform.

Yep--I'd say Marshall Faulk is right there with him. Arguably best all around RB ever.

 

[epraz]

 
Never struck out against Mike Maddux in 20 plate appearances, either. Ramon Martinez did get him once, so that's the one thing he can hold over his brother's head.

 
That, and the no-hitter.  Pedro's phantom perfect game isn't much of a retort, in a sibling rivalry.

 

[canyoubelieveit]

If Gwynn had continued to play and went 0 for his next 1182 ABs...he'd still be a .300 career hitter.
 
RIP to a generational talent and a very likable guy.

 

[Kliq]

Gwynn was just a magnificent hitter, and he retired with the highest career batting average since Ted Williams. Can't believe how much stuff I am seeing about how great of a man he was. Playing in San Diego, I really don't think he ever got his due as an all-time great hitter. He hit .444 for his career with the bases loaded!
 
As for chewing tobacco, I go to school in Berkshire County, and with the kids from there and from Vermont, dip is very popular. Total estimate on my behalf, but I would estimate that 50% of guys I know from Berkshire County do dip on a regular basis.

 

[Investor 11]

Solemn scene right now at Petco.... It's weird coming off the high of the US win but absolutely appropriate.

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

As for chewing tobacco, I go to school in Berkshire County, and with the kids from there and from Vermont, dip is very popular. Total estimate on my behalf, but I would estimate that 50% of guys I know from Berkshire County do dip on a regular basis.

 
I believe it's banned in minor league baseball. Without consent from MLBPA, I don't know what else organized baseball can do.

 

[Investor 11]

Shit, this Dick Enberg opening to the Padres broadcast made things pretty dusty here.

 

[MuzzyField]

Shit, this Dick Enberg opening to the Padres broadcast made things pretty dusty here.

Here, too.

Enberg voiced a tribute piece 'essay' during the Padres pregame show equally well done. At some point I hope Fox Sports San Diego posts it to its site.

The cut to loud commercial as the PA announcer said 'moment of silence'... Wasn't so well done.

Edit: For those with access, following the Padres-Mariners game, Fox Sports San Diego is replacing postgame coverage with an extended tribute to Tony Gwynn.

 

[mt8thsw9th]

While there's some interesting stuff in that Stark article, there's some eye-roll stuff like
 

Then again, he also didn't play baseball in an age when we were obsessed with walks, or on-base-percentage, or wRC+. So maybe, if someone like Tony Gwynn arrived in the big leagues tomorrow, we wouldn't value him quite the way we appreciated him in his own time.
 

 
Who wouldn't appreciate Gwynn overall now?
 

• Gwynn got hits off Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton and Phil Niekro -- four men who won a combined 1,282 games.
 

 
That's cool in all, but I'd imagine there are lesser hitters who might have done the same, and I'm not sure it's statistically significant. I can't find any site that compiles batter versus pitcher stats, but I know Robin Ventura has at least gotten a hit off Nolan Ryan, and I'd imagine one off Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine (1287 wins).
 
That aside, cool.
 
edit - apparently it's on BReferrence, and Ventura has hits against Clemens (354), Maddux (355), Johnson (303), and Ryan (324). That's 1336.
 
Just quickly looking at Steve Carlton's game logs, Jesse Barfield has hits against Steve Carlton, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, and Tom Seaver.
 
I mean, Craig Grebeck has hits off Roger Clemens (354), Mike Mussina (270), Tom Glavine (305), and Nolan Ryan (324)  (that's 1253). Bonus points for Pedro Martinez (219). 

 

[MuzzyField]

Ryan also had a couple of hard hits on Ventura, too.

 

[glasspusher]

Shit. I didn't even know he had cancer until today.  
 
(I really can't believe chewing tobacco is still sold as a legal product.)  

Oh, they keep coming up with ways of selling this death drug- e cigarettes...

 

[glasspusher]

I remember hearing in the late '80s, don't remember who it was, some catcher who had played in both leagues, asking what the difference was between Boggs and Gwynn, the guy replied "Gwynn occasionally swings at balls outside of the strike zone, Boggs never does"
 
Gwynn was the more durable player, lower OBP, higher batting average, but damn-
 
The man to get to 3000 hits in less at bats and games than anyone born after 1900? DAMN.
 
Then I hear he was worried he wouldn't be a first ballot HOFer? I never had a doubt.

 

[mabrowndog]

Great tribute from Olbermann tonight.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PXSVbLhyMY

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

This Joe Posnanski article on Gwynn deserves a cross-post from the Posnanski thread, just to get more clicks.  Nobody encapsulates a moment or a sports figure's career like Pos.

 

[Corsi]

I Was Tony Gwynn's Bat Boy

 

[Laser Show]

I Was Tony Gwynn's Bat Boy

Everyone go read this right now. Damn.

 

[Bergs]

Everyone go read this right now. Damn.

 
+1

 

[mt8thsw9th]

Oh, they keep coming up with ways of selling this death drug- e cigarettes...

How is someone going to die from inhaling nicotine vapor? I'll hang up and listen.

 

[Boston Brawler]

Everyone go read this right now. Damn.

QFT. Seriously.

 

[SumnerH]

How is someone going to die from inhaling nicotine vapor? I'll hang up and listen.

 
a) Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor that puts strain on the heart and is responsible for a lot of heart disease.  There's no evidence that e-cigarettes are any better than regular ones when it comes to heart disease, and some evidence that they aren't.
b) Nicotine is a mutagen that can cause cancer in exposed cells.  There's preliminary evidence that nicotine inhaled in e-cig vapor has similar carcinogenic effects to smoked tobacco (ie that it causes lung cancer), though it may be on a smaller scale.  More study is definitely needed.

 

[Dehere]

Everyone go read this right now. Damn.

That was fantastic, and fuck Will Clark.

 

[Zomp]

"You can tell him he may suck Benito's ass"

 

[mabrowndog]

From last night at Petco, the Padres' first home game since TG's passing:
 

 

[Mike Greenwall]

That's when I lost it.  Great gesture from the organization..

 

[MakeMineMoxie]

Everyone go read this right now. Damn.

 
A great baseball player and an even better man.

 

[Al Zarilla]

That's when I lost it.  Great gesture from the organization..

I lost it toward the end of Dog's Olbermann tribute video. I've never seen Olbermann not sarcastic and he was breaking up at the end of it. 

 

[mabrowndog]

Yep--I'd say Marshall Faulk is right there with him. Arguably best all around RB ever.

 
Oh, he's definitely in the conversation for greatest SDSU athlete ever. But Gwynn was drafted by TWO major pro sports franchises (Clippers & Padres), both in San Diego. That's the trump card, IMO.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

I Was Tony Gwynn's Bat Boy

Amazing. Read the comments section from another young guy who crossed paths with him. The guy was gold.

 

[mabrowndog]

There's a first time for everything, including Phillies fans doing something classy.
 
Standing ovation for Tony Gwynn Jr. in his first AB after returning from bereavement leave.

 

[Al Zarilla]

The Giants paid tribute to Gwynn at AT&T Monday night before their game with the Padres, with the players and coaches from the two teams along the first and third base lines. Bruce Bochy presented a base, symbolically from Gwynn's last game against the Giants to Bud Black and made a short speech. He was a teammate, coach and manager for Gwynn and said Tony was at the top of the list of all the players he'd ever worked with. I don't know how Bochy didn't break up. He did seem to rush through it a bit, maybe knowing he would break up if he paused. 

 

[mabrowndog]

Just stumbled across this...
 

 

[mabrowndog]

Buster Olney shared this earlier today:
 
@Buster_ESPN
My friend @halgarrett34 (Vandy) was drafted by Padres in 93. Tony Gwynn spoke to draft class. His notes.