Happy Birthday Mr. Padre, Tony Gwynn

It’s hard to believe it has almost been a year since the greatest athlete the city of San Diego has ever known passed away. Today would have been Tony Gwynn’s 55th birthday. He sadly passed away last June.

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But I never miss an opportunity to gloat about my childhood sports hero. We all know the stats, and I will gladly list them again: 3,141 hits, .338 career batting average, 15 All-Star games, 7 Silver Sluggers, 8 batting titles, 5 Gold Gloves and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. More importantly, Gwynn was a great mentor, friend and father. He was a student of the game and had a sharp mind.

Gwynn will forever be missed in San Diego and in the baseball world. His birthday is another chance to celebrate his life and Hall of Fame career. I remember chanting “Tony! Tony!” as a young boy attending his final home series. I wore #19 when I played high school baseball in his honor.

He spent an amazing 20 seasons with the Padres. His entire career was in one city. That does not happen anymore. He could have gone anywhere for big money, but he stayed. He did so much for this community and franchise. There will never be another one quite like Tony Gwynn. Happy Birthday, #19.

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