Ten years ago yesterday, Tony Gwynn received a call from Jack O’Connell (the guy who counts the Hall of Fame votes) from the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).
The message: I’m calling to tell you that the Baseball Writers have elected you to the Hall of Fame … Congratulations.
With the ten-year anniversary on tap, the Padres shared the moment Gwynn found out on their Facebook page. Warning, this might make you feel feelings:
On this day in 2007, Tony Gwynn received the call. #MrPadre #HOF
Posted by San Diego Padres on Monday, January 9, 2017
I’m not crying … you’re crying. Plus I just had something in my eye, and I was cutting an onion while watching the Notebook
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Gwynn spent exactly 20 years in Major League Baseball, playing in 2,440 games for the San Diego Padres from his debut in July 1982, until his final appearance in October of 2001.
During his career, Gwynn was worth 65 WAR and was a(n) …
Gwynn is also one of 79 players in baseball history with over 10,000 plate appearances to his name, ranking 10th best with a 4.2% strikeout rate over that stretch – which is just unbelievable (anything under 20% is considered really good in today’s game).
Among the same group, Gwynn’s .338 lifetime batting average ranks fourth, behind just Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, and Babe Ruth. And, of course, he is a member of the 3000-hit club.
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Here are the first and last hits of his storybook career:
Gwynn passed back in June of 2014, after a long battle with cancer and other health problems, but he’ll be enshrined in Cooperstown forever. Right where he should be.
Congratulations again, Mr. Padre, you were one of the very best.