For countless seasons of Little League Baseball, I could hear his voice coming from the basement television where my brother, Blake, would be watching his hitting tutorials over, and over…and over.
Blake treated every word of Tony Gwynn’s as if it were scripture from the Baseball Bible. After finishing the videos, he would go into the backyard and put the mechanics from the training sessions to work. He would mimic Gwynn's swing until every meticulous movement was imbedded into his muscle memory, or until Mom told him to wash up for dinner. This process was repeated almost daily.
My brother idolized Gwynn. When I called to see if he’d heard the news of the slugger’s passing, he was devastated.
“I owe my abilities at the plate to that man,” he said.
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007, Gwynn racked up more than 3,100 hits and a .338 batting average in 20 seasons with the San Diego Padres. He was a 15-time All-Star and won eight National League hitting titles.
Salivary Gland Cancer pitched Gwynn’s final strike, but he will always be alive in Blake’s swing.
For me, Tony Gwynn was a voice. For my brother, he was a mentor, a hero, and now...a legend.
“Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” - The Sandlot
Blake treated every word of Tony Gwynn’s as if it were scripture from the Baseball Bible. After finishing the videos, he would go into the backyard and put the mechanics from the training sessions to work. He would mimic Gwynn's swing until every meticulous movement was imbedded into his muscle memory, or until Mom told him to wash up for dinner. This process was repeated almost daily.
My brother idolized Gwynn. When I called to see if he’d heard the news of the slugger’s passing, he was devastated.
“I owe my abilities at the plate to that man,” he said.
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007, Gwynn racked up more than 3,100 hits and a .338 batting average in 20 seasons with the San Diego Padres. He was a 15-time All-Star and won eight National League hitting titles.
Salivary Gland Cancer pitched Gwynn’s final strike, but he will always be alive in Blake’s swing.
For me, Tony Gwynn was a voice. For my brother, he was a mentor, a hero, and now...a legend.
“Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” - The Sandlot