Tony Gwynn Childhood

Anthony Keith Gwynn Sr. was born on May 9, 1960 in Los Angeles, CA. He was the son of Vandella and Charles Gwynn. Tony grew up in a sports household where both his brothers were athletes and his father coached football.   For Tony, the future baseball Hall of Famer’s favorite sport was basketball. He played both extremely well and they would be part of his athletic success all the way to the professional level.  

Tony Gwynn High School Stats and Awards

Tony attended Long Beach Polytechnical School. He was a multi-sport athlete who excelled at baseball and basketball. He grabbed more attention in basketball since his teams were one of the best in the state. His skills in both sports led him to receive a scholarship to San Diego State University. 

Tony Gwynn College Career Stats and Notes

Tony continued to play basketball and baseball for San Diego State University.   In fact one of the best hitters this world has ever seen was a pretty good point guard in college. He had set school records on the hardwood that hasn’t been broken yet. His success in basketball delayed his time on the diamond. It wasn’t until his second year at SDSU when he began playing baseball. 

Tony Gwynn MLB Career Stats and Notes

Gwynn was selected in the third round (58th overall) in the 1981 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. He was also drafted in the same years into the NBA, selected in the 10th round by the San Diego Clippers. Baseball won out and he went on to have a marvelous career at the plate. Gwynn spent his entire MLB career with the franchise which spanned 20 seasons. After over 3000 hits and having a career batting average of .338, Gwynn retired in 2001.   He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. 

Tony Gwynn 1998 World Series

Although Tony was one of the greats during his playing years, his teams weren’t except for two occasions which happened at both ends of his career. In 1984, a young Gwynn and the Padres made their first ever World Series against the Detroit Tigers. However they would go on to lose the series 4-1.

It wouldn’t be until 1998 that Gwynn, at 38, was finally part of another special team in San Diego. The Padres shocked the baseball world by making the 1998 World Series. For Gwynn, he had a chance to put icing on a legendary career if he could add a world championship to his resume. And again it was not meant to be. The New York Yankees won their third straight World Series title, defeated the Padres 4-0. In his last World Series appearance Gwynn gave it his all as he batted .500 with a HR during the series.

List of Baseball Hall of Fame Members