There is Crying in Baseball

There was a time when I could look at a baseball roster and tell someone who I liked, who I hated and who I respected. There were fewer teams in those days. Some of those guys once wore the uniform of my favorite team and may have been traded to a rival, but I still liked them because they helped win some big games for my team. As a fan I think you need to respect that about a player.

There were many players that would forever be an opponent and would often times bring misery to the team that I wanted to win. They were just doing their jobs and we should acknowledge just how important being a professional really is. One of those great players that raised havoc with a couple of my favorite teams was Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres.

Gwynn was a professional hitter who also won five Gold Glove awards as a right fielder. Gwynn played 20 years for San Diego finishing with a .338 batting average. There are not a lot of players today that can consistently hit over .300 for a season let alone for 19 out of 20 seasons.

I really liked Tony Gwynn as a player because he respected the game and the players before him that made the game great. One of the great baseball programs I’ve ever watched was when Gwynn sat down with the late Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox to talk about hitting. These two guys had the utmost respect for each other and as they talked you could understand just how their approach to the game differed from average players.

These guys worked hard at their trade and could hit the toughest pitchers in bad counts. They knew their opponents well and knew how to attack them. It was such a breath of fresh air to hear two Hall of Fame baseball icons talk baseball. It was just another reason for me to love the game of baseball.

Gwynn loved baseball and what it represented. He knew that those who went before him allowed him to make a great living from a sport he loved and excelled at.

Gwynn retired from the Padres but he wasn’t unemployed long as he was hired to coach the San Diego State Aztec baseball team. Gwynn played for SDSU and lobbied to become the next Aztec coach after his retirement. He enjoyed teaching the game of baseball to another generation. Too bad more former ball players haven’t passed on their vast knowledge to prospective baseball athletes.

Gwynn’s son Tony Jr. is also a major league outfielder but has not been able to match his dad’s hitting ability. But being a major league player is not easy by any means.

Gwynn had salivary gland cancer and died on Monday, June 16. There are a lot of players that I’ve watched and enjoyed but few had the ability to talk about the game that can capture what the game really means personally. Gwynn could and I loved to listen to him talk baseball because he was that good.

For today, there is crying in baseball because one of the really good guys and great players has passed on. Hopefully he and Williams can continue their conversation about hitting in baseball heaven.