Tony Gwynn

Ranks 21st on MLB All-Time Batting Average List (.338).

Ranks 38th on MLB All-Time Times on Base List (3,955).

Ranks 48th on MLB All-Time Total Bases List (4,259).

Ranks 59th on MLB All-Time Sacrifice Flies List (85).

There is probably no one who has won over the public in San Diego as much as Tony Gwynn has. While Tony Gwynn the baseball player is worthy of Hall of Fame status, it is Tony Gwynn the human being that endeared himself to many San Diegans. Born in Los Angeles in 1960, Gwynn grew up in Long Beach where he attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School. Not only was he a skilled baseball player, he was also good at basketball. Interestingly enough, Gwynn actually chose to play basketball and not baseball during his freshman year at San Diego State University. He twice earned All Western Athletic Conference honors and was eventually drafted by the San Diego Clippers of the National Basketball Association. In his sophomore year, Gwynn joined the baseball team at SDSU while continuing to play basketball there. It turned out to be a wise decision as Gwynn's baseball credentials were better than those he earned in basketball. He received both All Western Athletic Conference and NCAA All-American honors for his performance as a baseball player. After college, Gwynn was drafted by the San Diego Padres Major League Baseball club, and played in their minor league system for a couple of years.

In the middle of the 1983 season Gwynn joined the Padres for good and had a hall of fame career before retiring from the Padres after the 2001 season. Among his many accomplishments were his eight batting titles, five gold gloves, 3,154 career hits and a career batting average of. 336. One of the attributes that distinguished Gwynn from other players was his relentless work ethic and attention to detail. He routinely studied videos of himself batting, looking for anything that could hamper his performance. His ability to analyze pitchers and determine what pitch they were throwing based on subtleties in their pitching motion was well known. This skill was so good that Padres pitchers often consulted Gwynn to determine if there was anything in their pitching motion that hitters could identify. Teammates wishing to improve their hitting also consulted Gwynn. Gwynn's character as a human being is another attribute that stands out from other players. While he could have easily pursued more lucrative contracts with other teams, he chose to stay in San Diego throughout his major league career, emphasizing the importance of his family and his connection to the community. He supports the Padres Scholars program and his foundation supports many causes helping needy children in the area. In an era of inflated contracts, steroids scandals and boorish behavior on the part of several major league ballplayers, Tony Gwynn is a great example of how a baseball player should be both on and off the field.

Member of 1984 and 1998 National League Champion San Diego Padres teams. Member of 1996 National League Western Division Champion San Diego Padres team.

Won 5 National League Gold Glove Awards as Outfielder (1986-1987 and 1989-1991).

Finished 8th in voting for 1987 National League MVP for leading League in Batting Average (.370), Hits (218) and Times on Base (303) and having .447 On-base percentage, 119 Runs, 301 Total Bases, 36 Doubles, 13 Triples, 82 Walks and 56 Stolen Bases in 157 Games.

Finished 8th in voting for 1989 National League MVP for leading League in Batting Average (.336) and Hits (203) and having .389 On-base percentage, 604 At Bats, 256 Total Bases, 7 Triples, 40 Stolen Bases, 260 Times on Base and 11 Sacrifice Hits.

Finished 7th in voting for 1994 National League MVP for leading League in Batting Average (.394), On-base percentage (.454) and Hits (165) and having .568 Slugging Percentage, 79 Runs, 238 Total Bases, 35 Doubles and 215 Times on Base.

Finished 9th in voting for 1995 National League MVP for leading League in Batting Average (.368) and Hits (197) and having .404 On-base percentage, 33 Doubles and 233 Times on Base.

Finished 6th in voting for 1997 National League MVP for leading League in Batting Average (.372), Hits (220) and Sacrifice Flies (12) and having .409 On-base percentage, .547 Slugging Percentage, 97 Runs, 324 Total Bases, 49 Doubles, 119 RBI, 68 Extra-Base Hits and 266 Times on Base.

Manager of the San Diego State University baseball team from 2003-2014. Among his players were Justin Masterson and Stephen Strasburg. Trevor Gretzky signed a letter of intent in 2010 to play for Gwynn, but decided to turn pro after he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2011.

Is the head baseball coach at San Diego State University. [October 2004]

Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame [January 2007]

Coached son Tony Jr. on the San Diego State University baseball team. The younger Gwynn was picked in the 2nd round of the 2003 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. On 24 May 2008, Tony Jr. was optioned by the Brewers to Triple-A Nashville after batting .200 with 1 RBI in 20 games.