(Here's an article I produced on one of my favorite athletes of all time for the May 1988 edition of The Sports Journal of Calgary, Alberta. The story is just four seasons into the lengthy, 20-season Hall of Fame career of the man who barely made it to age 54.)
(Breitbart photo)
Those
who claim that all high-salaried players are self-serving primadonnas don't
know Tony Gwynn. But that unfamiliarity of personality should not be
surprising considering how few people are even aware of Gwynn's on-the-field
talents.
Gwynn's accomplishments are
staggering! In his four years with the San Diego Padres, the 27-year-old
rightfielder has compiled a .335 career batting average, including a pair of
batting titles. His .370 batting mark last year was the National League's best
since Stan Musial's .378 in 1948.
"He's amazing at the
plate," Padres infielder Mike Flannery said. "He does everything
right. He'll get a hit on an incredible pitch; maybe one theat's busted
him inside, and all of us on the bench will look at it and shake our heads.
It happens all the time."
But there's far more to
Gwynn's abilities than making contact at the plate. He also earned his second
straight Gold Glove and swiped 56 bases last year, second only to the
Cardinals' Vince Coleman. Gwynn's seen All Star Game action all four seasons as
well.
"If I had nine Tony
Gwynn's suiting up every day, I wouldn't have to manage them a minute,"
said Padres skipper Larry Bowa. "His work ethic and every day contribution
is just incredible!"
In addition to all of
Gwynn's baseball accomplishments, which also included a trip to the World
Series in his rookie season, Gwynn is the ultimate role model for other young
players.
"I've never in my life
seen anybody with Tony's work habits and dedication--and his desire to
improve," teammate John Kruk said. "It's infectious! You can't
help but want to adopt his habits. He's inspiring!"
Gwynn's list of good deeds
involving the fans and the media probably even surpasses his baseball
statistics.
When a couple players turned
down an interview at Yuma (Arizona) Junior High School, Gwynn accepted and
turned a 10-minute session into a comical half hour. In fact, Gwynn's the
man that Padres assistant public relations director Mike Swanson looks to when
other teammates are unavailable to the press.
Gwynn's love for children
has led to personal sacrifices like missing a late night meal in St. Louis to
satisfy dozens of autograph seekers in the streets after complaining to San
Diego pitcher Greg Booker of being starved. Gwynn also suffered emotional pain
while visiting a home for abused children in Las Vegas.
"That's just me,"
Gwynn said. "I can't stand when people think baseball players are
better than anybody else. I realize how lucky I am. But I was raised to
believe that you treat people as you'd want to be treated. That's all I
do. That's easy."
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