Obituaries

Long Beach Mourns Tony 'Mr. Padre' Gwynn

Gwynn graduated in 1977 from Long Beach Polytechnic High School.

Tributes poured in today for San Diego Padres Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn, with a longtime family friend in Long Beach saying the world lost more than a good ball player, but a very good person.

Gwynn, who grew up in Long Beach, died today at Pomerado Hospital in Poway.

A right-fielder who came to be known as Mr. Padre, Gwynn belted 3,141 hits in his 20 seasons with Padres, had a .338 career batting average and was a 15-time All Star. His playing career ended in 2001, and he was subsequently picked as head baseball coach for San Diego State University, his alma mater.

Find out what's happening in Long Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Gwynn graduated in 1977 from Long Beach Polytechnic High School.

Gwynn's longtime friend, Vincent Lawrence, who stayed close to the Hall of Famer up to his death, said he received a phone call from Gwynn's brother this morning with the news.

Find out what's happening in Long Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"The world has just lost a good person. I'm not going to say a ball player, just a good person," Lawrence told Video News West at his Long Beach office.

Lawrence -- who played baseball with Gwynn when they were children, then at Long Beach Poly and in a summer college league -- said Gwynn was humble and never wanted to talk about his on-the-field accomplishments.

"I can see him right now, that smile, that million-dollar smile," Lawrence said, adding that he stayed close to Gwynn up to his death.

Gwynn loved to play in San Diego because he was two hours from his mom in Long Beach and the community he grew up in, according to Lawrence.

"He said that God gave him a good set of eyes, a good pair of hands and he just had to do the hard work to put it all together," Lawrence said.

During his professional playing career, Gwynn won seven Silver Slugger Awards and five Gold Glove Awards. His eight batting titles tied for second- most in Major League Baseball history.

Gwynn was inducted into the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007 -- the first year he became eligible. The Padres -- the only professional baseball team for which he ever played -- retired his number, 19, in 2004.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig called Gwynn "the greatest Padre ever and one of the most accomplished hitters that our game has ever known," while recalling "his exuberant personality and genial disposition in life."

"For more than 30 years, Tony Gwynn was a source of universal goodwill in the national pastime, and he will be deeply missed by the many people he touched," Selig said. "On behalf of all of our clubs, I extend my deepest condolences to Tony's wife Alicia, their son Tony Jr. of the Phillies, their daughter Anisha, the Padres franchise, his fans in San Diego and his many admirers throughout baseball."

Gwynn had a malignant tumor removed from his right cheek in 2009. He said he chewed smokeless tobacco throughout his career with the Padres and for many years after and blamed the substance for his condition.

The cancer returned twice, and in 2012 he underwent radiation treatment in an effort to shrink the tumor, according to the Padres. He had surgery that year, in which the nerve that the tumor was wrapped around had to be replaced with one from his shoulder.

Gwynn missed the second half of the recently completed season while he continued to deal with health problems. He had been on medical leave since March, but signed a one-year extension on Wednesday.

"We are terribly sad to say goodbye to our teammate, our friend and a legend, Tony Gwynn," the Padres said in a statement via Twitter. "Rest in peace, Mr. Padre."

Dodgers owner and Lakers basketball Hall of Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson wrote, "My friend Tony Gwynn had one of the sweetest swings in MLB history and he was one of the nicest men on the planet!"

Gwynn also played basketball, starring as a point guard for the Aztecs in college. He was drafted by the then-San Diego Clippers on the same day he was chosen by the Padres.

Memorial services were pending.

--City News Service


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here