RIP Tony Gwynn

[mtangelsfan]

He also had over 300 stolen bases.  Sometimes I forget how great of a player he was.  15 strikeouts.  Crap, not halfway through the season the consesus two best hitters Trout and Cabrera have 69 and 45 respectively. 

 

Ludicrous

[DW711]

I honestly forgot he even had cancer. Just horrible.

 

Sorry if I'm repeating numbers, but didn't feel like going through every post:

 

20 years: 434 strike outs.

 

Mark Reynolds had 434 in two seasons.

 

The most strike outs he had in a year: 40.

 

The only year when he didn't hit .300 was his first (.289)

 

Just incredible.

[gotbeer]

He also had over 300 stolen bases.  Sometimes I forget how great of a player he was.  15 strikeouts.  Crap, not halfway through the season the consesus two best hitters Trout and Cabrera have 69 and 45 respectively. 

 

Ludicrous

 

Looking at baseball reference.  This is just an absurdly amazing stat.

 

Tony Gwynn's highest swing without making contact of any year was 8.1% in his last year.  Next highest was a 6.3%.  He was in the 4% to low 5% for most of his career.  His career swing and miss was 5.0%.  The major league average of swing and miss is 14.7%.  

[Halofan]

I'm not going to comment on anyone dipping or smoking we all probably do things we shouldn't. I will say this Tony Gwynn lived his life to the fullest. The way he wanted to live it. And what a hell of a life it was . Many of us could only dream to live a life like that. If only all of us could go out with as much respect and admiration as Tony Gwynn has. Rest in Peace Tony Gwynn.

Edited June 16, 2014 by Halofan

[mp170.6]

Here's another interesting factoid. 

 

Tony Gwynn was first signed by the Padres on June 16, 1981.  He died exactly 33 years later. 

[Agalloch]

Wow, this was the first thing I saw when I got online. I'm just truly shocked, RIP Tony.

[BaseballMom]

That article about Father's Day was heartbreaking.  

[ten ocho recon scout]

I remember reading an article about him a while back about how, as the coach at ucsd, he was doing the players laundry for them. Not excatly a primadonna

I also remember another one where some guy, who was a regular sutograph seeker thag kind of knew gwynn, brought him a replica hersey to sign. Gwynn told him no, that he would get him an authentic one. Gwynn disappeared in the clubhouse and never came back.

The following year, first game where the pads were playing wherever this guy lived, gwynn sees the guy and says 'ill be right back', then runs out with a game used jersey that he had personalized for the guy.

Thought it was real cool how he brought it on the road with him.

Classy guy, gone way too soon

[mancini79]

Another interesting factoid (more personal):

 

Tony Gwynn Sr: July 19th, 1982

Tony Gwynn Jr: July 19th, 2006

 

Both father and son got their first ML hit on the same day.

[gotbeer]

Tony Gwynn was a ‘father figure’ for Stephen Strasburg

 

Great story about the bond of Gwynn and Strasburg.

[gotbeer]

Padres legend Tony Gwynn dead at 54

 

Good article by SD UT.

[fan_since79]

Gwynn had 35 games where he struck out two times, along with the three-strikeout game.

 

He had 45 games where he got at least four hits.

 

I'm wondering if there's anyone else in baseball history with that kind of ratio.

Edited June 17, 2014 by fan_since79

[mancini79]

He had a 5 year stretch with the highest BA in the history of the game.

[Hollyw00d]

He hit .300 every year of his career, except his rookie season when he hit .289

[fan_since79]

Ratio of multi-strikeout games to games in which the player got at least four hits:

 

Ted Williams  98 multi-strikeout games/38 games with at least four hits

Joe DiMaggio  37/34

Wade Boggs  85/62

Tony Gwynn  36/45

Ty Cobb  34/65

 

DiMaggio is slightly worse than Gwynn, and Cobb is the only one better than Gwynn all-time. I looked up some others who are in the 3,000 hit club and their ratios are not even close to these five.

 

source: Retrosheet

 

[jshep]

http://deadspin.com/i-was-tony-gwynns-bat-boy-1592123043

 

When kids have heroes, they tend to build them up into something unsustainable, something doomed to crumble, and years later, as adults, they look back on the their old enthusiasms with gentle condescension. On Monday, I turned on my computer and the words "Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn dies at 54" hit me square in the chest. I lost my breath for a minute. In that instant, dozens, hundreds of memories of Tony flashed through my mind. And each one remains good, clean, and perfect in its own way.

[mtangelsfan]

http://deadspin.com/i-was-tony-gwynns-bat-boy-1592123043

 

When kids have heroes, they tend to build them up into something unsustainable, something doomed to crumble, and years later, as adults, they look back on the their old enthusiasms with gentle condescension. On Monday, I turned on my computer and the words "Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn dies at 54" hit me square in the chest. I lost my breath for a minute. In that instant, dozens, hundreds of memories of Tony flashed through my mind. And each one remains good, clean, and perfect in its own way.

 

Thanks, this was a great read.

[Mark68]

http://deadspin.com/i-was-tony-gwynns-bat-boy-1592123043

 

When kids have heroes, they tend to build them up into something unsustainable, something doomed to crumble, and years later, as adults, they look back on the their old enthusiasms with gentle condescension. On Monday, I turned on my computer and the words "Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn dies at 54" hit me square in the chest. I lost my breath for a minute. In that instant, dozens, hundreds of memories of Tony flashed through my mind. And each one remains good, clean, and perfect in its own way.

That actually is a cool story.

[1nutkruk]

http://deadspin.com/i-was-tony-gwynns-bat-boy-1592123043

 

When kids have heroes, they tend to build them up into something unsustainable, something doomed to crumble, and years later, as adults, they look back on the their old enthusiasms with gentle condescension. On Monday, I turned on my computer and the words "Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn dies at 54" hit me square in the chest. I lost my breath for a minute. In that instant, dozens, hundreds of memories of Tony flashed through my mind. And each one remains good, clean, and perfect in its own way.

Awesome read.  I was working for the Padres during that season selling tickets and working in will call.  Here is another great tribute.

 

http://deadspin.com/keith-olbermann-tearfully-remembers-tony-gwynn-1591925235?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_facebook&utm_source=deadspin_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

[1nutkruk]

http://deadspin.com/i-was-tony-gwynns-bat-boy-1592123043

 

When kids have heroes, they tend to build them up into something unsustainable, something doomed to crumble, and years later, as adults, they look back on the their old enthusiasms with gentle condescension. On Monday, I turned on my computer and the words "Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn dies at 54" hit me square in the chest. I lost my breath for a minute. In that instant, dozens, hundreds of memories of Tony flashed through my mind. And each one remains good, clean, and perfect in its own way.

I loved this:  "Will Clark was a dick."  Tony had some epic battles for the title against Will the Thrill especially in 1989 when they battled to the very end of the season.