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Padres News: Stretch of the 15 Named After Tony Gwynn

ByDaryll Dorman|

The City of San Diego and the baseball world lost a hero last year in Padres Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn. Now for anyone driving along the 15 freeway in north San Diego they will be daily reminded of the great Mr. Padre. Monday a stretch of freeway from Scripps Poway Parkway to Camino Del Norte was re-named the Tony Gwynn Memorial Highway, as reported by NBC 7 and other outlets.

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It is certainly great to see the city still honoring the former Padres great over a year after this death and providing a daily reminder for residents. His number has also been retired at SDSU and of course even prior to his death had a statue erected at Petco Park which served as a memorial in the days following his death last June.

That said, Gwynn would likely even be happier about the recent state-wide ban for smokeless tobacco for MLB teams passed last week by Governor Jerry Brown. Though the enforcement is questionable – Gwynn became an outspoken advocate against the chewing tobacco that he certainly believes led to his own cancer and hoping to help current and future generations of ballplayers avoid the same fate.

For the freeway dedication, his wife, daughter and son were on hand and“We just appreciate all the love, all the support we’ve been given over the past year and a half, we vow to keep going with our dad’s legacy.”

The particular stretch of freeway was significant to the family as it was the same stretch the family drove every day to get to the ballpark.

Gwynn of course died last June after a fight with cancer in his salivary gland. He was just 54 and certainly was gone too soon. His community work and coaching career at SDSU further endeared him after his playing career ended and there are many who think Gwynn might be a prime candidate for the currently vacant Padres managerial position.

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