RIP Tony Gwynn

[AZGrizFan]

A true legend, and one of (if not THE) purest hitters in all of baseball. Sad day for baseball.

[Grizalltheway]

RIP. He always seemed like one of the good guys in baseball.

[ASUG8]

Cancer.

http://www.businessinsider.com/tony-gwynn-dead-2014-6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SDHornet]

Cancer.

http://www.businessinsider.com/tony-gwynn-dead-2014-6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Self inflicted cancer. He dipped his whole career and had cancer in the mouth (generically speaking).



Sad day in baseball. As a Padre fan, he is MR PADRE. Could hit the ball where he wanted, when he wanted, and how he wanted. Unfortunately he played in the steroid era so most of his accomplishments took a back seat to the home run chasing juicers of his time. There will probably never ever be another Padre team as good as that 1998 team that he was a part of. Good times.

Gwynn’s Legacy per Wiki:

The New York Times called Gwynn "arguably the best pure hitter of his generation".[99] Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux, against whom Gwynn had more hits than any other pitcher, called him "the best pure hitter in the game. Easily."[c][28] Gwynn won eight NL batting titles, tying him with Honus Wagner for the league record— second only to all-time Major League leader Ty Cobb, who won 12 AL titles.[16][93] In seasons which he had enough plate appearances to qualify, he was in the top five in batting average in all but two seasons, finishing in the top 10 in 15 consecutive seasons.[25][78][93] He recorded five of the 14 highest season averages since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941.[66] Gwynn hit above .300 in an NL-record 19 consecutive seasons, exceeded only by Cobb (23).[6][73] The only season Gwynn failed to bat .300 was his first, when he hit .289 in 54 games.[66] He hit above .350 for five consecutive years (1993–1997)—averaging .368 in that span—while leading the league each season except 1993, when he hit .358 to finish second.[66][77] The four consecutive NL batting titles he won starting in 1994 had not been matched since Hornsby won six straight beginning in 1920.[100] Gwynn is the only major leaguer to win four batting titles each in two separate decades.[101] Six times he led the NL in both batting average and hits.[17]
Gwynn's .338 career average is the highest of any player who began his career after World War II, and ranks 17th all-time;[77][102] he and Williams are the only ones of the top-17 to play after 1938. Playing in an era in which around 75 batters strike out 100 times in a season, Gwynn never struck out more than 40 times a year.[77] He struck out only 434 times in his career, or just once every 21 at-bats.[78] Only four players in MLB history had 300 steals and a career batting average of at least .338; Gwynn was the only one of the four to have played since 1928.[d][77] Gwynn in 1999 was the first National League player to reach 3,000 hits since Lou Brock in August 1979. Seven American Leaguers reached the mark after Brock and before Gwynn; all but one played at least 400 games as a designated hitter.[103] "If you want to do it in the National League, you have to play a position," Gwynn said. "It's been 20 years since anybody has been able to do it. That tells you how tough it is to do it in this league."[71]
Gwynn was the 11th player to collect all 3,000 hits with one team. George Brett of the Kansas City Royals and Robin Yount of the Milwaukee Brewers were the last to achieve the milestone for one team in 1992.[71] He played his entire career for San Diego, a rarity for his generation.[104] "In this era it doesn't happen. It takes a little bit of loyalty and luck. It also takes the organization wanting a player to stay with the club," said Gwynn.[66] Only 17 MLB players have played at least 20 seasons with one club.[93] He is widely considered the greatest Padres player ever.[78]
His career paralleled that of Wade Boggs, who also debuted in the major leagues in 1982. Gwynn and Boggs were the premier contact hitters in an era dominated by home runs. They both won multiple batting titles—Gwynn's eight to Boggs's five—and each won four straight to join Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, and Carew as the only players to do so. Gwynn and Boggs each hit over .350 in four straight seasons, the only players to do so since 1931. They joined Brock and Carew as the only players whose careers ended after World War II who finished with 3,000 hits and fewer than 160 home runs.[12][71] Gwynn, though, had a career slugging percentage of .459, higher than comparable contemporaries such as Boggs, Brock, Carew, and Rose. Among that group, he had more RBIs (1,138) than everyone but Rose.[105]
Gwynn prospered during the steroid era of baseball. While other players were transforming their physiques over a single offseason, Gwynn's body grew pudgier and rounder. While no longer the base stealer or defensive player he was early in his career, he continued to excel as a hitter.[106] In 2005, Sporting News ranked him No. 57 on the list of their 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and he was nominated as a finalist for theMajor League Baseball All-Century Team.[78]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Gwynn

[AZGrizFan]

He struck out only 434 times in his career, or just once every 21 at-bats.

Seriously, that is unfuckingbelievable.

[dbackjon]

RIP to a TRUE legend

[CAA Flagship]

A great player and person. RIP

[Ivytalk]

A class act and the greatest hitter of his generation -- and probably the best hitter after WWII. RIP.

[bluehenbillk]

Chaw really does kill...damn RIP