Tony Gwynn: Mr. Padre’s legend and legacy in San Diego
Tony Gwynn, Mr. Padre, left baseball fans with quite the legacy both on and off the field with the San Diego Padres.
Loyalty. Devotion. Kindness. Hard-work. All synonyms in which you can describe Mr. Padre, Tony Gwynn. The San Diego Padres had the honor and pleasure of Gwynn spending every single one of his 20 MLB seasons in sunny San Diego.
On the surface, you probably know Tony Gwynn as “just” another MLB Hall of Fame asset. However, there is much more to the man. The myth. The legend of Mr. Padre himself.
His play on the field is an excellent place to start, with stats that would even impress the “Sultan of Swine,” Babe Ruth.
Strasburg: “He was one of the greatest hitters of all time, number one, but he was also one of the greatest people of all time.”
- San Diego Padres No. 19 retired
- MLB Hall of Fame
- San Diego Padres Hall of Fame
- Career Batting average: .338
- Career Hits: 3,141 (18th all-time)
- 19 straight seasons hitting over .300 (1983-2001)
- Two World Series appearances (1984, 1998)
- Eight-time NL batting champion (1984, 1987–1989, 1994–1997)
- 15-time NL All-Star (1984–1987, 1989–1999)
- Five-time Gold Glove Award (1986–1987, 1989–1991)
- Seven-time Silver Slugger Award (1984, 1986–1987, 1989, 1994–1995, 1997)
- Roberto Clemente Award (1999)
- Hit .394 in 1994, which was the closest to .400 since Ted Williams in 1941.
When stakes were at it’s highest, Tony Gwynn delivered. Mr. Clutch. Also, Mr. Padre was no ordinary three-hole hitter.