Former MLB slugger and Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn died Monday morning at the age of 54, according to the San Diego Padres and various media outlets. Gwynn had taken a leave of absence from his position as San Diego State baseball coach back in March in order to receive cancer treatments.
Gwynn’s passing is a tragedy for the baseball world. He spent all 20 seasons of his career with the Padres, winning the NL batting title eight times and being named to the NL All-Star team 15 times. Gwynn is one of only 28 players to eclipse the 3,000-hit mark during his MLB career.
Gwynn batted an incredible .338 in his 20 seasons with the Padres. He hit .394 with an on-base percentage of .454 in 1994. He was easily one of the best pure hitters baseball has ever seen.
Gwynn had surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes and tumors from his salivary glands back in 2010. He also had a malignant tumor removed from the inside of his cheek in February 2012. His passing is an unfriendly reminder of the long-term effects tobacco use can have, as Gwynn previously stated he believed his years of chewing tobacco caused his cancer. He said he was doing well two months ago.
“I have no comment, other than to say I’m doing good,” Gwynn told the San Diego Union-Tribune in April. “That’s all I can say. But nobody believes me because there hasn’t been any information out there. But, trust me, I’m doing good.”
RIP to a true legend of a the game and one of the most well-liked players in baseball history.
