The San Diego Padres announced that Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn has died at age 54 following a battle with salivary gland cancer.
Gwynn amassed 3,141 hits in his brilliant career and his .338 career batting average is the highest since Ted Williams retired from the Boston Red Sox in 1960 with a .344 average.
Gwynn won a record eight National League batting titles while hitting .300 or better for 19 consecutive seasons. He also played in San Diego’s two World Series appearances and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007..
He retired in 2001 and later coached for San Diego State University.
“We are terribly sad to say goodbye to our teammate, our friend and a legend, Tony Gwynn,” the San Diego Padres posted on Twitter. “Rest in peace, Mr. Padre.”
This is such sad news. Gwynn is one of the all time greats and I loved watching him play the game. He will be missed by a great many.
