Teams across Major League Baseball paid tribute to Tony Gwynn on Monday night after the Hall of Famer lost his battle with cancer. Gwynn was one of the most well-liked players in MLB history, and almost every player, fan, coach and anyone else connected to the game felt the sting of his passing on some level. The Detroit Tigers honored Gwynn in a very unique way.
The Tigers wrote Gwynn’s initials and the number 5.5 on the back edge of the infield dirt between third base and shortstop. It was a reference to what Gwynn called the “5.5 hole,” and it’s a spot on the field where he picked up a ton of hits.
Gwynn was such a good hitter that he could pretty much place the ball wherever he wanted. If he got a pitch that was low and outside, he’d just slap it through the “5.5 hole” and get on base. In reality, you could put Gwynn’s initials on any spot in the field where no fielder was standing. That was his favorite place to hit it.
We have more must-read stories about the San Diego Padres legend here.
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