The Genius of Tony Gwynn | Baseball History
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Tony Gwynn is the most iconic athlete in San Diego history. He’s one of 13 left-handed hitters in the 3,000-hit club. He shares the record for most batting titles in NL history. And his lifetime average of .338 is still the highest in the last 60 years.
Tony didn’t look like your average superstar. He didn’t sound like most professional athletes. Other than hand-eye coordination, he never said he had any special abilities. And yet, nobody was surprised when he entered Cooperstown on his first ballot.
It’s often said that he was the quote-unquote “purest” hitter in the game. But what was it that made Gwynn the smartest hitter of his era? How was he able to dominate MLB pitching for 20 years? The answer involves years of work, new tech, and the unexpected guidance of another San Diego icon.
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Sources: pastebin.com/mhyzPtDX - กีฬา
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I swear 1994 (imo) was the BIGGEST "what if" year in professional sports. In 94': Gwynn was on pace to hit .400, griffey was on pace to break the single season HR record, and the montreal expos had the best record in the majors...... i swear we need a documentary on the 94' mlb season.
Matt Williams was on pace to break the home run record too.
Bagwell had an insane season going too. Broke his hand right before strike but he was putting up insane stats
Kenny lifting had 160 hits and 80 stolen bags by the strike
The Expos would have been in the world series and to me (born in 90) thats insane. All i ever remembered was they were horrible but Vlad G was my favorite player so i rooted for them.
@@desmondscoby1943 man he may have broke Rickey Henderson’s record of most steals in a season.
I am 44 years old and I vividly remember meeting Tony Gwynn when I was 10 at a card signing. The line was huge but he spent a few minutes talking to me about baseball, school, and family. I'll never ever forget how nice he was.
😊
As a kid he was a just a statue on a hill in Petco Park. When I was an early teen he passed, & I was young enough to not understand why everyone in my entire town was sad. But now as an adult I know, fully & definitively, that Tony Gwynn isn’t just a ball player. Tony Gwynn is San Diego.
Friendliest baseball player I ever met. On induction weekend at the hall of fame in 2007, everyone was all about Ripken but that didn't bother him. He stopped and signed at least 50 autographs for fans at the golf course and talked to us. I said he played 20 seasons above .300, but he said he only had 19 but he'd take the extra season if I credited him with it. Funny and great guy.
No disrespect to Ripken, but I always loved Gwynn, too.
If I had a single season avg in the majors of .338 I’d die happy. Gwynn hit that in an entire career.
Why could I barely hold back tears when Gwynn helped Ted throw that pitch!?
Weak
@@joseeduardo4327soulless
Because it’s an indelible moment in the echelons of American sports
pussssayyyy!!!!
I’m a lifelong Dodgers fan but man I just truly enjoyed watching Mr. Padre Tony Fn Gwynn play the game. Not only an unbelievable hitter and student of the game but an amazing person that carried himself with humility and integrity.
I’m born and raised in San Diego and Tony Gwynn meant everything to me. He was my favorite baseball player and by the time I got to college I got to see him on a daily basis because I worked at the country club where he belonged. He will always be ,y favorite because of how he handled himself as a player and how he interacted with everyone as a human being. It simply does not get any better than this man. We now have the wonderful benefit of having his son call baseball radio games here in San Diego and once a year we celebrate Tony’s birthday with our local sports radio station devoting an entire day to San Diegans calling in and sharing their favorite memories of Tony. It’s a very special day and I cry every year. I can only imagine the emotion TG Jr and his family must enjoy on that day. He’s the best!
San Diego is a small market and always gets sc rewed it seems, thinking of the Chargers, and the Padres getting to the World Series twice probably is no small part due to having a once-in-a-lifetime player like Tony Gwynn. But it if was a big city market they'd be in the WS a lot more often. Speaking as somebody who visited SD only once (I was in LA for a long time) to visit the zoo there.
I know how you feel man from SD also
Excellent coverage of Tony Gwynn! After his cancer diagnosis he was out spoken against the use of smokeless tobacco, which sadly took him.
It's true that cancer claims about one-third of all heavy smokers. That said, I know people who smoked cigars and lived to a ripe old age, including Churchill. As for Ted Williams, he didn't take chances with immortality, I understand he frozen his head so they could someday maybe revive him.
@@raylopez99 Ted Williams head being frozen was all on his son. I remember them dragging it through the courts. There are exceptions to cigar smoking but it killed US Grant.
I truly think it’s impossible to hate Tony Gwynn
Rest easy Tony, greatest pure hitter ever!
My favorite baseball player of all time. RIP Mr. Gwynn you were pure class. 🙏🏻
Of all the achievements listed, never striking out to Maddux, in over 100 ABs, is the most impressive. TG was a great ball player and even better person.
I didn't know about that stat until this video. So insane.
Insane stat!
Tony was the best!
Here’s another one. In 1984, he played 158 games and only struck out 23 times!
23!
Tony Gwynn was without a doubt the second Ted Williams. Shame with the 94 lockout. We couldn't see him attempting to get to 400. We lost him too early RIP Tony ❤
I grew up a Giants fan, and the respect that Tony Gwynn got in SF was perhaps the highest of any visiting player I ever saw. The man was beloved by all Giants fans, even though he killed us time and time again.
My dad growing up always told me about how incredible of a hitter he was and how no one does it like him today. Hearing the stories of how great his bat to ball skills were and seeing this video just confirms for me how unbelievable he was. He definitely deserved that MVP!
Still the Aztecs all time assists leader
Tony Gwynn still doesn't get all the respect he deserves.
He doesn't deserve it, he was a low impact slap hotter
Opposite is true. He's one of the most overrated players ever.
@@YellowBrother😂😂😂LOL!!! you edited it and you still can't spell or use punctuation😂😂😂
@@danacoleman4007 lol, nice red herring fallacy pointing at grammar on the internet like a classic idiot
Well done. This video deserves one million hits. Tony Gwynn was the best hitter that I ever saw, and really just the sweetest person ever...he really meant a lot to San Diego.
I recently saw a clip of an interview with John Smoltz and he was asked how he did against Gwynn. He said, 'Not good!' He then said that between Glavine, Maddux, Pedro Martinez and himself, with over 12,000 strikeouts between them, they struck out Gwynn three times. Combined. 🤯
Please tell me you have the clip. That’s incredible 😮
@@BrutusJrThe3rdit’s out there. Pops up in TH-cam shorts all the time
@@BrutusJrThe3rd th-cam.com/users/shortsJjDTJDCfzMA?si=9pbNTfzIdMl6p3zP
th-cam.com/users/shortsJjDTJDCfzMA?si=HWDnHrX7QpK3gbp2
Goddam, this video hit me in the feels on several occasions.
I was among the 75,000 or so people who attended the Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Gwynn and Cal Ripken. I sat in the Gwynn section although I was arguably an equal fan for both. (It was easier to find my spot next to the huge section of blue Padre lawn chairs.)
very cool
I got to watch Tony play both basketball and baseball at SDSU. Then watched him become the man he became. Both his and Seau's passing were the only 2 times that I was brought to tears. Thank you Tony for all the wonderful memories.
I always have him in my Show lineup.
man seeing the Dick Enberg cameo to announce Tony Gwynn's death. RIP to two absolute legends
I moved to San Diego in winter 1993. Tony won the batting title 1994-97. Took me five years to see him relinquish it.
Love maddux’s quote on Tony Gwynn
As Gen X, We are grateful to have had Tony as our role model and hero. My heart still hurts seeing these videos, going back to that terrible day for baseball fans. I now have immense pride that I was able to watch him at the Murph F32, Row 3 seats 2 & 3. If there were runners on, double in the gap. Like clockwork. Thank you so much to the creator for posting this.
I always loved Gwynn. I’m a Cardinals fan but I remember back when the Cardinals were playing the Padres in St. Louis. McGwire was going for his 500 home run and Gwynn his 3,000 hit. McGwire got number 500 but unfortunately Gwynn didn’t get 3,000 while in St. Louis. I remember how I really wanted him to get it at Busch Stadium that weekend. RIP Tony it was a pleasure to watch you hit.
the big hitter with a bigger heart. a gentleman. Miss you sir
Great video! I was fortunate enough to see Tony play in St. Louis a few times the Padres came through. I was just a kid/teen for these few games, and I really wish I knew in the moment the magnitude of the greatness I was witnessing. It was all the more awesome that Tony was one of those rare combos of being a great person and a great player. It's so sad we lost him early. Rest easy, Tony.
Watching this on T. Gwynn's birthday. I always get sad on this day; thank you so much for this!! Terrific video!!
Thank you for your kind words 🙏 Rest in peace to one of the greatest to ever do it
Gwynn= Class, values, and dedication.
I never get tired of reading lists of “insane Gwynn stats.” Seems every couple times, I end up finding out a new one. RIP Tony Gwynn and Ted Williams, the contact gods 💪
Gwynn was my favorite player after the great Dale Murphy. Speaking of Dale Murphy, it is absolutely outlandish and outrageous that Dale Murphy remains absent at Cooperstown
Murphy should have been in the HOF long ago, I don't know what's wrong with these voters.
8 of the 9 players of the decade (80's) easily made the HOF. One did not make it at all. Atrocious and most baseball fans worldwide agree.
The main element missing in your definition of "pure hitter" is the the strategy of "hitting it where they ain't." This contributes to the team-oriented battle plan that predates Babe Ruth and has still been effective, especially when Tony was on your team.
#19, TG. Rest in Peace to the finest hitter of the modern era. I grew up in San Diego and used to watch Tony play from the five dollar seats at Jack Murphy. He was an amazing man, and an amazing ball player. Legends never die.
One of my favorite all time MLB players ... Tony Gwynn not only was a Hall of Fame player, more importantly he was a Hall of Fame person ... A lot of today's MLB hitters should model their swings and carefully study Gwynn's outstanding approach at the plate in reducing strikeouts and consistently putting the ball in play from "foul line to foul line" ... RIP "Captain Video" and "Mr. Padre" ...
Thank you for everything
Mr. Padre 🐐🐐🐐🐐
Man this was a DOPE video!! Grew up watching Tony play and man, just watching hit was a wonder.. hated him lol because I was a cardinals fan and at one point a cubs fan and you could never get that guy out but he got all respect... And people also forget about his glove and defense! Dude played center field early on and had a cannon of an arm as well..
As a fourth-generation Twins fan with deep family roots in Minnesota who grew up in the 2000s and 2010s, Joe Mauer is a player who has a special place in my heart. So do Single-team players have an incredibly special place in baseball (and, I'd guess, any sport), "hometown kids" especially so. Though Tony Gwynn doesn't strictly count as a "hometown kid", the way he's been adopted by San Diego certainly gets him close enough in my book. I find the love for single-team guys especially strong when it comes to small-market teams, where you have the factor that they probably could've gained more attention and made more money elsewhere, but chose to stay. To me, I think part of the love comes from the way it fuels childhood dreams perhaps long-since extinguished, the dream of being called up to the big leagues to play for your favorite team, and getting the crucial hit in the big game or striking out the best guy on the other team or making a spectacular catch to seal the victory. Those dreams get put away when it becomes clear that you can't handle the curveball or any of the thousands of other things that snuff out any future path that ends with your name on a big league roster. But when you're watching that kid who had that one in ten thousand chance to make it, those dreams can come back, if only for nine innings. If you want a heaping helping of that romanticism, look at the story of David Freese as written about by Joe Posnanski, either in the book _Why We Love Baseball_ or in an earlier version he wrote as part of a series for The Athletic. theathletic.com/1919677/2020/07/10/60-moments-no-17-david-freese-lives-the-dream-in-game-6/
One of the most special and beloved baseball players of our time. He was just sooooo cool!
I have very fond memories of Tony Gwynn in large part because I moved to San Diego just at the time Tony began his MLB career as a Padres. Furthermore, I started to watch Padres game broadcasts and highlights soon after and became interested in the Padres in general. (A side-note: in the 1990s, I also became interested in Trevor Hoffman.) For a MLB long-timer, Tony aged "gracefully" as a "pure hitter"--i.e., remained as a hitting threat all the way to end as long as he was in the batter's box.
My takes on Tony Gwynn as a "pure hitter" at the MLB level:
-- First order of business is to make something happen with a bat in order to get on base
-- Not too terribly concerned about racking up career homerun numbers
-- Paying attention to the details of the opposing pitchers while adjusting batting techniques as needed in order to:
------ Mentally unease the opposing pitchers by out-studying and out-practicing
------ Induce the opposing pitchers to throw something good to hit
------ Reduce the likelihood of ending up an at-bat with a strikeout
-- While Tony's "raw" talents might have made it possible for him to join the MLB in a short stretch of time, it is a different matter to sustain it. Tony accomplished it!
Man I miss baseball, thanks tony Gwynn truly one of the greatest hitters of all time eva eva, such a joy to watch play and hit….
Hitting against Greg F'n Maddux 107 times and never striking out....WOW.
When I was on faculty at SDSU, Tony was still with the Pads. He'd come to campus to use the batting cages. I never got to meet him, but when you heard him it, it made a sound like no one else. Just perfectly solid on everyone.
By the way, Tony has the highest batting average of any player who started his career after World War II. He's the list, and the next guy isn't even close. Rose, Aaron, Mays, even Carew. His uniform number should have been 5.5!
A good contact hitter will only strike-out once per every 8 or 9 plate appearances.
Tony Gwynn had 10,000 AB's in his career.
He had 400 strike-outs. He was remarkable.
A wonderful video about a wonderful human being! thank you so much for making it!
The "Five-Point-Five Hole". That was where the majority of Tony's hits went on their way to the outfield. There were so many memorable hits in his career, but I think his best was off of San Diegan David Wells during the first game of the 1998 World Series. Wells was having his best year after hurling a perfect game earlier in the season and winning the Cy Young award as a Yankee. Tony had got a hit off Wells earlier in the game and Wells was still pissed about it, so he planned to give Tony some chin music to move him off the plate. Gwynn was looking for that pitch and slammed it to deep right and it rattled off the facing of the upper deck and came back onto the field. His son, Tony junior, was at that game and he had been hearing insults from the Yankee fans before Tony got that homer. Junior turned and looked at the fans who had been giving him a hard time and yelled, "YEAH! THAT'S MY DAD!"
I've been a Padres fan since 1979. I did not know about his 93/94/95 162 game batting average was .401. Amazing. Also not widely known....Tony had 20/15 vision.
You are possibly he most underrated youtuber of all time
Eight times NL Batting Champion
He's one of the greatest hitters of all time! He knew how to hit, I can only describe it as if he placed the ball there for a hit. He always looked good. He used a 32.5 inch bat, light as a feather the bat control he had, I know, how small the bat was- I held it in my hand. The bat was a wand for Tony.
At 0:32 you forgot to write Ichiro in italics, he is a left-handed batter (he retired but can't stop hitting 😊)
Unfortunately his 3000th hit was in front of only 1,200 people in Montreal. The night before, he was in St. Louis with 50K fans cheering every hit. He came in 10 hits short of 3k. 2 hits game 1, 4 hits game 2 and game 3 he had 3 hits with 1 more AB. McGwire hit his 500th HR earlier that evening. Imagine the odds of 2 such milestones accomplished in 1 game. In Tony’s final AB, the crowd was as loud as I ever heard at Busch. He smoked a line drive right at the RF for an out. We were all bummed. Tony later said he always loved playing in StL and how we appreciate good players regardless of team. That’s in all sports, despite what Stan(I’m a billionaire but I wear cheap tupees) Kroenke said. RIP Tony
I didn't know he almost did it in the same game as Mac. If Griffey's 500 was any indication, he would have had 50,000 new lifelong fans.
Tony Gwynn and Ichiro Suzuki are the two greatest hitters in my lifetime!!
Love this video. informative but also super interesting. This is by far my favourite channel on TH-cam.
Thank you very much Daniel 🙏
Truly a role model
Sadly, my first exposure to him was from Tony Gwynn Jr. 😂. With all seriousness, he's an absolute legend. One of the best to ever do it.
A man of CHARACTER 💯
One of his "secrets" was that if you look at his front foot; it is all the way up towards the front of the box whereas just about all modern hitters have their back foot against the back line closest to the catcher. Tony's reason was that he could get to most breaking pitches before they had a chance to snap. So most breaking pitches to him were like hanging curve balls.
Feel called out as an Iowan not able to watch my Cubs😭😭
I grew up in San Diego in the 80s and 90s. I was a cardinals fan. Tony was the man.
Idk why but this brought tears to my eyes. Miss Tony for real. Miss baseball when Tony Gwynn played. Rip Mr. Padre.
I’m from San Diego and he was my baseball HERO! I got to meet him a few times and play against his son I’m 1 year younger than him. Tony was an amazing man
I love Tony Gwynn, class act.
What a GREAT! One of my all time favs - on and off the field
Watching Gwynn hit was a pleasure. Dude was brilliant at putting the ball anywhere he decided on the field. Ultimate technique.🤌🏾👏🏾
Great video man!!
Tony Gwynn did what few if any great athletes do today. He called attention to himself by his play. He didn’t turn handsprings, didn’t flip his bat or dance the last few steps to the plate. He was a great hitter and an admirable, humble man. Thank you for featuring him.
This was clearly written by a boomer who hates fun. If a player wants to act like a wrestling heel not only should they be allowed to do so but encouraged to do so.
@@YOSSARIAN313 Sure. I agree. Dickheads will be dickheads.
Tony Gwynn, Ichiro, Jeter, Miggy, Pujols, Trout & Manny Ramirez are my favorite hitters ever. Could hit in any era 💯🙌🏾
As a 53-year-old San Diego native, I'm lucky to have met him and watched his whole career. Aztecs to Padres to Aztecs again. We love you, Tony. (BTW, when I was a kid watching the games with my dad, my mom used to say "tell me when Tony is batting", so she wouldn't miss it. The only Padre she ever really cared about.❤)
Great video. I miss Mr. Padre RIP
I know the term “pure hitter” is someone who doesn’t hit for power but I think you have to include Albert Pujols as one of the best pure hitters ever.
He hit for a high average and he didn’t strike out a lot however, obviously he hit a lot HR. But one thing with Pujols vs other HR hitter is he wasn’t your typical HR hitter. Most of his HR were just line drive ropes that kept going out. He definitely had his fair share of moon shots (Brad Lidge was never the same lol)
Put Cabrera on that list as well........
From Philadelphia and Tony was favorite as a kid!!!! Still a fan of the Padres today but let’s go Phillies!!!!
i can't believe how good he was... his 0-2 stat is just mind boggling. what a true legend.
Pure hitter easy way to say super duper contact hitter
TGSR is a pure hitter, like we define Kensuke Kondoh.
I sold Tony Gwynn a hot dog at my high school growing up. I thought that was the coolest thing ever. Long live Mr. Padre!
We lovedTony Gwynn. Still do. I remember seeing him hit a double off the left field wall just smoked it to left center.
Most beautiful thing you ever seen
He was an amazing hitter. Very smart. Knew the pitching and umps
Tony Gwyn = Pure LEGEND
Classy and excellent baseball player.
he was also a prince of a Man--- he was kind to autograph seekers.... He once saw a guy with a off market jersey with his name and number on it & asked the guy what he paid for it- when the guy answered he said " you got ripped off - wait right here". he then went up into the clubhouse and brought the guy a real jersey and gave it to him......
You NEVER see that out of baseball players.
15:20 STOP
EVERYTIME I CRY WHEN I HEAR THESE SPEECHES
Tony Gwynn was without a doubt one of the greatest hitters of all time. That, by definition makes him one of the smartest hitters in history.
Same way Wade Boggs was one of the greatest batters of all time, and hy definition one of the smartest batters of all time.
LEGEND. What else can you say?
I'm 58 and he was by far the greatest hitter I ever saw ....❤
God rest the soul of tony gwynn. One of the greatest hitters ever
Very well done. Tomorrow would have been his 64th birthday.
Great stuff.
Damn, he faced Maddox 107 times, got on base 50 of those times and didn’t strike out once. Now that is a Tony Gwynn fact that blew my mind
Right
We lost him way to soon ,before he could share all his knowledge to the youth. The greatest hitter ever to play the game, there will never be another Tony Gwynn. All MLB teams should retire his number.
Great video. Gwynn was the best.
My definition of a Pure Hitter: Very low strike outs, walks often. All fields hitter, no great weakness (outside pitches high heat, or sliders from same arm side pitchers ect.) contact often, low power hits for average, good OB%.
The captain video , first baseball player to recorde all of his AB in a VHS .ahead at his time
A pure hitter has the ability to hit more pitches out of the zone and still get on base. Nobody better at that than Tony.
"Contact Supreme" Tony Gywnn!
L. TOMLINSON is probably sd's all time favorite athlete
I remember that season (1994) fondly because my parents got me season tickets for the Pittsburgh Pirates. I remember following Tony, Matt Williams & Jr. I was rooting for Tony & Jr.
I once met a team mate of Tony's (Mark Williamson from San Diego State). We talked about baseball n when came to best hitter Mark said Tony. Granted Mark played for the O's and only faced AL batter. He says Tony is
Pure hitter = a hitter who could hit the ball no matter which type of pitch and get one of the following: single, double, triple, Homer or a successful bunt down.