The late, great slugger Tony Gwynn had a major impact on the baseball community both in life and in death. With his beloved Padres hosting the MLB All-Star Game this year, we’re seeing proof of that once again.
White Sox lefty Chris Sale, who will be starting Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic for the American League, recalled on Monday how Gwynn’s passing moved him to quit chewing tobacco for good.
“He actually made a very big impact on my life,” Sale told reporters per Kirk Kenney of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I chewed tobacco from 2007 until the day he passed away. I remember seeing that and just being so shocked. He was a larger than life person. He was an inspiration to the game for many, many people for a lot of different reasons.
“I quit that day and haven’t touched it since,” Sale added. “In a sense I owe him a huge, ‘Thank you,’ not only for myself but for my family. Hopefully, I can sway somebody in the right direction as well like he did for me.”
Gwynn, the 15-time All-Star and eight-time NL batting champ, passed away in 2014 at the age of 54 due to complications from salivary gland cancer. He publicly attributed the cancer to his longtime chewing tobacco habit, a common occurrence in baseball. His death has motivated other current ballplayers like Addison Reed and Stephen Strasburg to drop the unhealthy practice as well.
Image Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
H/T theScore
