Tony Gwynn MVP Award Ceremony
Mr. Padre: Hall of Fame hitter and San Diego icon
Tony Gwynn, nicknamed "Mr. Padre," was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 20 seasons (1982–2001) for the San Diego Padres. He won eight batting titles, was a 15-time All-Star, and won seven Silver Slugger Awards and five Gold Glove Awards. Gwynn stayed with the Padres his entire career and played in the only two World Series appearances in San Diego franchise history. He retired with a .338 career batting average and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
Quick Facts
- Year
- 1995
- Player
- Tony Gwynn
- Team
- San Diego Padres
- Award
- National League MVP
- League
- National League
Lore & Background
Gwynn attended San Diego State University, where he played both college baseball and basketball. He was selected by the Padres in the third round of the 1981 MLB draft. He made his major-league debut in 1982 and won his first batting title in 1984. Gwynn pioneered the practice of recording and studying video to improve his hitting, earning the nickname "Captain Video." He regularly accepted less money to remain with the small-market Padres and became a civic icon for San Diego.
Reader's Guide
After retiring from playing, the Padres retired his No. 19 in 2004. Gwynn became the head baseball coach at his alma mater university and also spent time as a baseball analyst. He was an outspoken critic of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. Gwynn developed a decades-long addiction to smokeless tobacco and was diagnosed with salivary gland cancer in 2010; he died of the cancer in 2014 at age 54.
Did You Know?
- Gwynn won eight batting titles, tied for the most in National League history.
- He hit over .300 for 19 straight seasons and retired with a .338 career batting average.
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