Tony Gwynn

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Anthony Keith Gwynn Sr. (May 9, 1960 – June 16, 2014) was nicknamed "Mr.," after which he was born.

Padre, an American professional baseball right fielder who played 20 seasons (1982–2001) for the San Diego Padres, was an American professional baseball right fielder.

Gwynn, a left-handed hitter, won eight batting titles during his career, tied for the most in National League (NL) history.

He is regarded as one of baseball's finest and most consistent hitters.

Gwynn had a.338 average on his career, with no one hitting below.309 in any complete season.

With seven Silver Slugger Awards and five Gold Glove Awards, he was a 15-time All-Star recognized for his contributions both on offense and defense.

Gwynn was one of the few players in his entire career to play for a single team throughout his career, and he appeared in the first two World Series appearances in San Diego's franchise history.

In 2007, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame for the first year of eligibility. Gwynn played both college baseball and basketball for the Aztecs at San Diego State University (SDSU).

He was an all-conference player in both sports in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), but was honoured as an All-American in baseball.

In the third round of the 1981 MLB draft, Gwynn was rated as the 58th overall pick by the Padres.

When San Diego advanced to its first-ever World Series in 1984, he made his major-league debut and captured his first batting title in 1984.

Gwynn's defense work was recognized in 1986, when he received his first Gold Glove.

He captured his first of three straight batting titles the following year.

Gwynn's four seasons in a row ended prematurely due to injuries, particularly to his left knee.

However, he saw a comeback with four straight batting titles beginning in 1994, when he batted a career-high.394 in a strike-shortened season.

In 1998, Gwynn made his second World Series appearance before he reached the 3,000-hit milestone the following year.

He had two more seasons, but injuries were hindered in both directions, and he resigned in 2001 with 3,141 career hits. Gwynn, a contact hitter, was an expert at striking the ball to the opposite field.

Since meeting Hall of Famer Ted Williams in 1992, Gwynn became more adept at pulling the ball and using the entire field as well as hitting for more power.

When he was a robbed base threat early in his career, he could have run early in his career.

Gwynn, who has been widely regarded as the best player in Padres history, has regularly accepted less money to remain with the small-market outfit.

Since he came back from playing, the Padres cut No. 132 from his list. In 2004, there were 19 people in the country.

Gwynn served as the head baseball coach at his alma mater and also served as a baseball analyst.

In 2014, Gwynn died of salivary gland cancer at the age of 54.

Early life

Charles and Vendella Gwynn were born in Los Angeles, California, to Charles and Vendella Gwynn. His parents were nine years old when they decided to move from their apartment to buy a house in Long Beach, a city that they loved because of the year's schools, parks, and youth sports choices. He grew up with older brother Charles Jr., who played college baseball and became a mentor, and younger brother Chris, who became an MLB player. The parents of Gwynn's children were civil servants who were tag-team parents. Gwynn's father worked at a warehouse from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., as well as coaching Pop Warner football and Little League Baseball; his mother worked at the post office from 5:30 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. He enjoyed his time playing mainly basketball, which was his favorite sport.

In the makeshift baseball field that he assembled in their backyard, Gwynn's father encouraged his sons to play baseball. The whole thing was a narrow strip of grass that was longer than wide. Too much led to it being lost across the neighbor's fence, but the left field being short barred out striking it to the opposite field as well. When the brothers' supply of wiffle balls was depleted, they resorted to using a sock wrapped in rubber bands, a strip of tape, or a hardened fig from a neighbor's tree. Though Gwynn was able to retrieve the ball in his back yard, he would later play it the other way during regular games. Willie Davis, the Dodgers' outfielder, watched his hero play in Los Angeles and watched him play; he stole twice as many bases as home runs (398 SB, 182 HR) in his career. Davis was praised for being black, left-handed, and "aggressive but under control," according to Gwynn, who praised Davis' work habits as well. Unlike other kids who followed home run hitters, Gwynn checked the box scores in the newspaper every morning to watch high-average hitters like Pete Rose, George Brett, and Rod Carew.

Personal life

Gwynn was married to Alicia Gwynn, the father of R&B singer Anisha Nicole and big league outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr., who made his debut (with the Milwaukee Brewers) and first major league debut on July 19, 2006, 24 years to the day. There were two double hits in the Milwaukee Brewers on July 19, 2006. Chris Gwynn's brother, who was also a major league outfielder, was also a good sport outfielder. Both Chris and Tony Jr. were with the Padres throughout their careers. He split time between Poway, California, and Fishers, Indiana, before Gwynn's death.

Starting in 1997, Gwynn underwent three procedures to remove noncancerous growths from his parotid gland. He was diagnosed with salivary gland cancer and had lymph nodes and tumors removed from his gland in 2010. The operation left his face partially paralyzed on the right side, leaving him unable to smile. He underwent eight weeks of chemotherapy and radiation therapy later this year. He was declared cancer free afterward but he had also regained his ability to smile. In 2012, more cancerous growth was removed and nerve damage was done. Since playing his first ball in Walla Walla in 1981, Gwynn attributed the disease to his dipping tobacco use. Doctors, on the other hand, said that no studies had been published regarding parotid cancer or chewing tobacco.

Gwynn's weight hit 330 pounds (150 kg) in his playing career, and he underwent controlled gastric banding surgery in 2009 to shed weight. He didn't closely follow the diet, and his weight loss started to stall. In 2010, his weight loss led to a fractured disc in his back that affected a nerve in his leg. Before he had the damaged disc removed from his leg, he had to have the pain relief when walking. He suffered a taste for food during radiation therapy for his cancer, and although being restricted to a liquid diet, he recovered to 80 pounds (36 kilograms), all of which he recovered after returning to solid foods.

A mishap occurred during another round of cancer treatment in April 2014, in which Gwynn lost oxygen and was barely able to move. He was sent to rehabilitation to learn how to walk again. Gwynn died of complications from his cancer at Pomerado Hospital in Poway on June 16, 2014. He was 54 years old at the time. He had gone into cardiac arrest the night before, on Father's Day, and was rushed from his house to the hospital.

On June 26, 2014, Gwynn's public memorial service at Petco Park was held. 23,229 people attended the service, including tributes from baseball and civic leaders, as well as Gwynn's family.

On May 9, 2017, a memorial statue in his honor was unveiled at Lake Poway.

After filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the firm in 2016, Gwynn's family became "hopelessly addicted" to its drugs, the family became a "unieless addict" to its products in 2018.

Source

High school career

Gwynn attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, a high-profile school in sports. He was a two-sport athlete in both basketball and baseball. In his last two years as a coach, Jackrabbits baseball teams were a combined 325-2 in the league, while basketball teams went 53–6 and twice to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section 4A championship game. Gwynn had considered quitting baseball as a senior to focus on basketball, but his mother discouraged him from doing it. "She said it might be something down the road and that if I didn't play, I'd be sorry later." Gwynn said.

He was a starting point guard on Poly's basketball team, who lost the Southern Section 4A championship as a junior. In the 69-51 victory over Buena of Ventura, over 10,000 people attended the final at the Long Beach Arena, where Gwynn scored ten points in the 69–50 victory over Buena of Ventura. Michael Wiley, a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association, was among his teammates (NBA). Poly was 23-7 in his senior year and advanced to the championship round after placing third in the Moore League. They lost their second straight title to Pasadena by 57–50. Gwynn scored 10.3 points and totaled 178 assists on the season, and was named to the All-CIF Southern Section Second Team. He went back to baseball after the season, with the season just getting off. Despite his shortened season, he was voted first-team All-Southern Section champion after batting.563. Poly's baseball teams taught him to stay focused and keep producing and remain efficient.

While Gwynn received scholarship offers to play college basketball, there were none for college baseball. In the 1977 MLB draft, he was also undrafted, owing to his limited playing time. He wanted to play both sports for Cal State Fullerton, which was fine by basketball coach Bobby Dye, but baseball coach Augie Garrido did not believe an athlete could compete in both sports in college. Tim Vezin, a San Diego State basketball coach, wanted Gwynn to play two years of basketball before starting to play baseball. Also from Texas Christian University (TCU), Gwynn had an acceptance. However, he was told that he would be their first black player in 30 years, effectively banishing them from being considered. He opted to attend SDSU, calling it "the right option I had."

College career

Gwynn was a two-sport star with San Diego State, playing three seasons of baseball and four of basketball. In his last two seasons, he was a two-time All-American outfielder, when he commanded the team in hitting. He set multiple school records for assists in his first attempt at basketball. He is the only WAC player to have earned all-conference awards in two sports in the history of the game. As a freshman, Gwynn was not allowed to play baseball. He was overweight at 205 pounds (93 kg), and Vezie wanted him to be in shape for the upcoming basketball season.

Before the 1979 basketball season, Gwynn had not heard from Aztecs baseball coach Jim Dietz about joining the team after the basketball season. However, an opportunity arose after two outfielders riding bicycles were struck by a vehicle and wounded, leaving Dietz in need of replacements. Bobby Meacham, a freshman who competed against Gwynn in high school, convinced the coach to give Gwynn a chance. Dietz had never seen Gwynn play, but mainly because he trusted Meacham. Vezin had been fired by then, and his replacement, Smokey Gaines, allowed Gwynn to play baseball. Were it not for the crash, Gwynn doubted he'd have played baseball with SDSU. "Now knowing what I now do about Coach Dietz... [h]e's too loyal to his athletes to have allowed me to leave the team after basketball season and join the team." According to Gwynn, he was a student at the University of Gwynn.

At San Diego State, Gwynn was mostly a left fielder and designated hitter (DH). In his first season, he hit.301, but said he "stunk defensively." In 1980, Gwynn reached.423 with six home runs and 29 runs batted in (RBI) and was named third-team All-American by Baseball News. After batting.416 with 11 home runs and 62 RBI, he was a first-team All-American this year. He was also named a first-team All-WAC outfielder. He had a.398 average in his three years as a coach, and the team lost 14–61.

As a basketball player, Gwynn set Aztec basketball records for assists in a game (18), season (221), and career (590). He was twice selected to the All-WAC Second Team, and his senior year, he averaged 8.8 points per game. The playing point guard improved Gwynn's baseball skills as the dribbling improved his wrists—avoiding what he terms as "slow bat syndrome"—and basketball taught him how to be precise, which improved his baserunning. He could have dunk a basketball, but he was unable to palm the ball with his tiny hands. He took his first step in either sport and was able to run 60 yards (55 meters) in 6.2 seconds.

Gwynn was indirectly uncovered by scouts who were watching SDSU who were interested in Meacham, who would have been a first-round pick in 1981. When the basketball team was still playing, Gwynn began the baseball season in 1981, but some scouts had already seen enough of Meacham and decided against following SDSU. Casey McKeon, Jack McKeon's son, who was the San Diego Padres general manager at the time, was also on the Aztecs baseball team. McKeon went to Aztecs games often as a result of his son's involvement. He was initially keen on seeing Meacham but was made more impressed by Gwynn after seeing him at an exhibition match between the Aztecs and Padres; Gwynn had just re-joined the baseball team five days earlier.

Professional baseball career

With the 58th overall pick, the Padres selected Gwynn in the third round of the 1981 MLB draft. While he was at San Diego State, he'd attended Padres games and thought they had the "ugliest uniforms I've ever seen in my life." After being drafted, those uniforms came to his mind. McKeon had intended to take Gwynn with the Padres' first pick, but the Padres had chosen two other players in the first round and another in the second round. McKeon threatened to walk out of the draft room if San Diego had not chosen him in the third round. In the tenth round of the NBA draft, Gwynn was also selected by the San Diego Clippers later that day. Gwynn may have made it as high as the sixth round if he were not a baseball player, according to then-Clippers general manager Ted Podleski. In what he described as a "practical" decision, Gwynn said he played baseball with the Padres, citing his physical struggles against bigger players like Charles Bradley while playing WAC basketball.

Gwynn was initially worried about the switch from an aluminum bat to a wooden one, but he was relieved when he discovered a bat with the Aztecs' size. With a.331 batting average, he led the Northwest League in just 42 games for Walla Walla, San Diego's Class A minor league affiliate, earning him the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award since 1981. He played in Class AA with Amarillo for 23 games while batting.462.

In 1982, Gwynn began serving in spring training with San Diego, a record-breaking.375. However, the Padres were set in the outfield with veterans Gene Richards, Ruppert Jones, and Sixto Lezcano. During the season with Triple-A Hawaii, the Padres were based in the outfield. When he was drafted and debuted for the Padres on July 19, 1982, he was batting.328 in 93 games with the Islanders. In place of a slumping Jones, he started in center field against the Philadelphia Phillies. Gwynn hit his first major league hit in his fourth at-bat, a double-against reliever Sid Monge. Rose, the Phillies' first baseman and later became the major-league all-time hit leader, told Gwynn, "Congratulations." "Don't try to catch me in a single night." Gwynn sustained his left wrist after diving for a ball and striking the hard artificial turf at Three Rivers Stadium five weeks later, despite being on the disabled list for three weeks. He played.289 in 54 games, his lowest batting average in his career, with no one scoring below.300. His 15-game hitting streak was the longest on the team this season.

Gwynn returned to play winter ball in Puerto Rico, but he started on the DL in 1983. He missed the first two months of the season and failed after his return, and his average dropped to.229 by July 29. He begged his wife to film the games before going on vacation, and he began reviewing his at-bats by video recording. He became a believer in using video after reviewing the tapes and correcting his swing during batting practice. "My life turned upside down," he said. He hit a.309 average during his short career, and his 25-game hitting streak tied a Padres record. San Diego set the best record in the second straight season.

San Diego won their first NL West title in 1984 during his first full season. Gwynn was elected to start his first All-Star Game with a.351 average, 71 RBIs, and 33 stolen bases; he had only 23 strikeouts in 606 at-bats; he claimed his first batting title with a.351 average, 71 RBIs, and 33 stolen bases. In the national league MVP voting, he came in third, behind Chicago Cubs winner Ryne Sandberg and runner-up Keith Hernandez of the New York Mets. He hit 213 runs, breaking Richards' record of 194 that was not established in 1980. In response to the fastballs opposing pitcher's reaction to the fast leadoff hitter's batting order, Gwynn came in second in the Padres' batting order behind Alan Wiggins (70 SB) being on base. The defense was still hindered by Wiggins' speed, which opened up holes that Gwynn was able to exploit for hits. Wiggins was on base ahead of him at over.400. "Anybody can hit a fastball," Gwynn said. San Diego's triumph was due in large part to the pair. With Wiggins on first, stealing second, and Gwynn singling him home, they could have a fast time. With runners in scoring position, Gwynn recorded the highest "RBI percentage" on the team, according to Gwynn's manager, Dick Williams.

The Padres won the first NL pennant in its franchise history (NLCS) before losing the World Series to the Detroit Tigers. In Game 4, Gwynn batted.368 and his one-out single in the ninth placed, which was followed by Steve Garvey's game-winning homer. In the World Series, Gwynn achieved.263 (5-for-19) and lost to Tigers left fielder Larry Herndon for the final out of the fall classic. During the offseason, Gwynn spent less money to remain in San Diego by signing a six-year, $4.6 million deal with the Padres. Despite this, his new salary of more than $500,000 for 1985 was still a substantial increase over the $180,000 he may have earned over the $100,000 he earned in 1984.

In 1985, the Wiggins went through drug therapy and was traded later in the season to the Baltimore Oriolettes, resulting in Gwynn receiving fewer fastballs and more breaking balls. Gwynn said he took a month to understand the change in opponents' tactics and a long time to adapt. He was under.300.000 in June when he sparked, but then strained his wrist in a collision with Dodgers catcher Mike Scioscia on June 27. Despite this, Gwynn was selected with seven other Padres to the 1985 All-Star Game. At the time, San Diego was leading the NL West but ended the season in third place. After Gwynn's wrist healed, he hit.339 at the start of August and ended the season with the fourth-highest average in the NL (.317). Wiggins' batting leadoffs were down to 46 runs, despite his being a good substitute.

In 1986, Gwynn played in a career-high 160 games while he ruled NL position players in Wins Above Replacement (WAR). For the first time, he scored 100 runs and tied for the NL lead (107). He set new records for doubles (33), homers (14) and robbers (37). He had four hits against the Houston Astros on September 20 and became the fifth NL player to complete the century with five stolen bases in a game. He came in third place (.329) after leading for the majority of the season. In September, he reached only.296, and he regretted paying too much attention to Tim Raines and Steve Sax, who were not even trailing him. After leading the league in total goals and putouts (337), Gwynn was honoured for his defense with his first Gold Glove. The three Mets' threw out in a single game highlighted his 19 outfield assists last year, which fell short of the league's high.

Despite his financial difficulties and bankruptcy in 1987, Gwynn remained unconcerned on the field. Marvell Wynne, Gwynn, and John Kruk were among San Diego's first-home runs in the Padres' home opener, the first time an MLB team had led off a game with three consecutive home runs. He had 44 hits in 93 at-bats for a.473 average in June, his highest month in his career. He came in fifth place among NL outfielders voting for the All-Star game, which Padres boss Larry Bowa described as "a joke." However, Gwynn was unconcerned: "People put a premium on the home run hitters." I know who I am. I'm a contact hitter and not a home run hitter... I'm not going to try to be something I'm not."

Gwynn had two five-hit games last year, the first of eight in his career. After being hit.370, he claimed his second batting title of the season. It was the first NL average since Stan Musial hit.376 in 1948. He also stole 56 bases and became the first NL player to reach.370 and steal 50 bases. Gwynn never missed more than eight at-bats without receiving a hit, and he had a hit in 86% of the 155 games he batted. His 218 hits also dominated the league. He ranked second in stolen bases, triples (13), and on-base percentage (OBP) (.447), and was second in stolen bases (119), and 10th in walks with a career-high 82. His average, hits, runs, and triples were all Padre records. Despite the fact that he only hit seven home runs, Gwynn came in second in the league with 26 intentional walks, indicating respect for his striking prowess. He came in eighth place in the NL MVP rankings, but he kept his hitting style to earn more respect. Wade Boggs in the American League (AL) won his fourth batting title in five years, hitting.363 with 24 home runs but placed ninth in MVP voting.

A finger on Gwynn's left hand would lock when he gripped a bat during the last three months of the 1987 season. It would only be open to the bat for the bat to slip out from his grip. During Spring training the following season, he had surgery on his hand. After spraining his thumb early in 1988, Gwynn was on the DL for 21 days after spraining his thumb and joking at a tripping rounding first base in Pittsburgh. He was hitting.246 as late as July 2, 1988, but he took the batting title with a.313 average. In the first 73 games of the season, Gwynn batted.406 in July and.367. He denied that injuries contributed to his demise, instead blaming his attempts to "mechanics" for his suffering. His.313 average was the lowest to win a title in NL history, winning a record for the first time in NL history. Only nine batting leaders cracked below.330 in 2011 for the 112 years, with Larry Doyle's.320 in 1915. Batt leaders averaged.343 for the 25 years that ended in 1988. With runners on base (.382), Gwynn's percentages were higher than those who were empty (.263), the most significant difference in the NL this season. He tied Pedro Guerrero for the highest average with runners in scoring positions (.371). McKeon converted Bowa as the Padres' boss and moved Gwynn from right to center field during the season. On April 22, Gwynn also hit 1,000 runs in career with a single off Nolan Ryan of the Astros, who was the Astros' Nolan Ryan. With his 1,135th off Jim Acker of the Atlanta Braves, he passed Dave Winfield as the Padres career king in hits on September 17.

In 1989, he was sick in September while competing for his second batting title. His right toe made it impossible for him to put a shoe on, and his left Achilles tendon was sore and prevented him from pushing off properly when swinging. His batting average decreased, but he kept playing until his boss ordered him to miss two games. In September, the Padres were battling the San Francisco Giants for the division title, but they were disqualified from contention, but the Giants were not able to participate in the game until hosting a season-ending three-game series with the Giants. Despite the fact that the division was over, Gwynn was still a long way behind Will Clark for the batting crown,.333 to.332. In the last two games, Gwynn went 3-for-4, finishing at.336 to win his third title. Clark said, "I lost to the best." In 1950–52, Gwynn became the first NL player to win three straight batting titles since Musial. At $1 million a year in December 1989, Gwynn became the seventh highest-paid Padre, and he questioned the team's compensation structure. He felt he deserved more money than players like Jack Clark, who signed a lucrative contract with the New York Yankees before being traded to San Diego. The request for a job renegotiation was refused.

Gwynn in 1990, who was widely admired by his peers and regarded as one of the most dedicated players in baseball, was accused by some teammates of being selfish and more concerned about his batting average than winning. Unlike bunting and shielding his batting average, first baseman Jack Clark said that Gwynn should be swinging with runners in scoring position rather than bunting and safeguarding his batting average. Clark did not approve Gwynn bunting with runners on first and second with no one out, implying that he was aiming to either hit or get credit for a sacrifice if he failed. On the other hand, Gwynn felt he was advancing runners for the team's "game changers" —Clark and Joe Carter — which was in accordance with McKeon's style. Gwynn admitted that he had to bunting to advance the runners because he wasn't a good pull hitter. "No one bothers Tony Gwynn because he wins batting titles," Clark said, but the Padres finish fourth or fifth each year, which also caused controversies. Mike Pagliarulo and Garry Templeton sided with Clark, who also said that Gwynn was "50 pounds [23 kg] overweight," resulting in his lower stolen base total.

Gwynn was miserable the remainder of the season, but he became isolated and suspicious of his coworkers, despite the criticism. He changed his hitting style by attempting to drag the ball to move runners in situations where he would normally be aiming for the opposite field. According to rumors that he might have been traded, his performance was influenced by rumors that he had been traded. When a statue of his likeness was hanging in effigy in the Padres' effigy in September, Gwynn was furious, and race became a factor due to the revival of lynchings, with Gwynn being black and Clark being white. A groundskeeper was liable, according to the Padres, but Gwynn thought it was a cover-up. Clark denied any involvement. Gwynn missed the final 19 games of the season after breaking his right index finger mid-month in Atlanta while trying to make a catch at the wall. He left the team for the season in order to avoid interfacing with the media and teammates. He was also furious that neither boss nor other players came to his defense at the time. He later regretted that he preferred to avoid his colleagues in general rather than being more specific about which ones he was referring to. "It just concerned one great guy, and that's Tony Gwynn," says Tony Gwynn, and anything else they'd like to hear about Tony Gwynn is going to be news." Carter said it was all blown out of proportion. "I've been doing the same things my whole life," Gwynn replied, "I've been doing the same things my whole life" and playing the same way."

Now, why is it an issue?

It's been said by Jack Clark that it is." Gwynn finished the season with a.309 average, ranking sixth in the league, but below the lowest average of any full season; he had started the season with a.332 career average. Nevertheless, his 72 RBI during the season were a first-career high. He also began feeling pain and swelling in his left knee. The cartilage under his kneecap had worn out, which doctors attributed to his participation in basketball and baseball year-round from high school to college.

Clark and Gwynn said they could continue to play together, but Clark decided to work with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent in the offseason. After being signed to a three-year deal extension for $12.25 million, including a $1 million signing bonus, Gwynn felt appreciated. McKeon lauded Gwynn as "one of the most unselfish players I've ever worked." He was giving himself up to move runners along in 1989, when he was competing for a batting title.' "I don't think I've ever had a player who played harder, cared more, and was more deserving of his awards," Dick Williams, who ruled Gwynn from 1982 to 1985. Clark continued to criticize him, something Gwynn attributed to jealousy. Clark's own words reacted angrily to Gwynn's remark about him walking 104 times, despite him being a No. 1 on the streets. The 4 hitter makes the most adamant appearance. Let's talk about his fact that he does not fly on team flights. On a called strike three, let's talk about him being kicked out of games. In 1992, Gwynn sympathized with Clark, who applied for bankruptcy after poor loans by his agent. Clark wrote, "I loved Tony's stuff about my case."

Gene Richards, the Padres' all-time leader in steals and triples, was named by Gwynn in 1991. In June, he hit a season-high batting average of.373 in June, and was one of the month's top RBI leaders in RBIs. Before the All-Star break, his left knee was causing him pains, and he had been suffering from shin splints as well. He sustained his left knee while sliding into second base at Houston on August 5. He played through the injury, missing just one game in the next 3+1 weeks. On August 31, he had fluid drained from his knee, and he only played once in the week that followed after surgery. He wanted to end the season, but he only lasted five more games. He underwent arthroscopic surgery to clean the knee and smooth the articular cartilage, but he skipped the first 21 games of the year. When Gwynn's father and Padres announcer Jerry Coleman advised him to take care of his knee and win another batting championship, he was leading the league in hitting at.326 late in August and had enough plate appearances by then to qualify for the tournament. However, Gwynn was still reeling from Clark's criticism of his conditioning and being selfish, and he wanted to keep playing. At.317, Gwynn finished third in batting, behind Terry Pendleton (.319) and Hal Morris (.318). He hit just.243 after the All-Star Game.

Gwynn finished the year on the DL for the third year in a row. He had his third five-hit game of his career and his first since 1987 in San Francisco on September 8. He tore the medial collateral ligament ligament in his left knee in the same game but then continued to play just four more innings the rest of the season. He needed knee surgery. During the 1992 All-Star Game, which was held at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium (also known as Qualcomm Stadium), Gwynn met Hall of Famer Ted Williams for the first time. Gwynn considered himself a good hitter, with singles and doubles as his goal. Williams branded Gwynn "a big guy" and begged him to get more power. He chastised Gwynn for using a "toothpick" for a bat. His encounter with Williams prompted him to learn more about hitting, and he began to pound for more power. "I've never been a home run guy, never been a big RBI guy," Gwynn said, "I've never been a home run guy."

Gwynn came back from his surgery in 1993 hoping to recover from his previous two surgeries, and he'd also incorporate Williams' advice into his swing. The Padres lost 101 games this year, the team's lowest mark in his career. They came in last place in the division, behind even the Colorado Rockies, who were an expansion team in their first season. The majority of San Diego's star players, including Fred McGriff, Gary Sheffield, and Tony Fernández, had been traded in fire sales during the season. Gwynn had a.358 average, his second-best average of his career, but Andrés Galarraga of Colorado claimed the title at.370. Gwynn batted.587 on pulled balls, down from his.315 in 1991 before Williams' pointers. He was harmed early in the season by a sprained thumb, but in the second half of the season, he was.400 (76-for-190). With a 14-2-hitout over the Dodgers in the seventh inning of a 14-2-2 victory, Gwynn skipped the chance to hit for the cycle in his seventh inning. Riggleman was unaware that he needed a single to cycle. Despite being wary of Clark's earlier allegations that he was selfish, Gwynn did not contest his dismissal, which angered his boss when he found out after the game. Gwynn had his only six-hit game of his career against the Giants on August 4th. If not for Will Clark's superb play at first base, he may have gone 7-for--7. On August 6, Gwynn hit his 2,000th offside lefthander Bruce Ruffin of Colorado. His last game was September 5 before undergoing arthroscopic surgery to remove "loose bodies" from his knee. It was the fourth year in a row, and the third straight season, it was due to left knee surgery.

Charles Gwynn's father, Charles, died early in the season at the age of 57 from heart disease. Charles had argued with Gwynn that he should leave San Diego two days earlier, doubting the Padres' commitment to winning. "No, I love it here, I should keep it," Gwynn said. He considered leaving baseball after his father's death, but recalled his father's always reminding him, "never be a quitter, work hard."

Media preseason forecasts predicted that "this season" he would be the first player to reach.400 since Williams in 1941, for years during Gwynn's career. Gwynn batted.394, his career-high and highest in the National League since Bill Terry hit.401 in 1930. He had also had a record-breaking.454 OBP. He had eight straight hits and caught base nine times from April 22 to July 24, tying Padres records held by Winfield and Bip Roberts, respectively. At the All-Star break, Gwynn was batting 383 out of a hundred, but there was talk of a strike by the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), and he wanted to get to.400 before that date. In the second half, he scored.423 over 28 games and a slew of 80 in August, when the season came to a close prematurely on August 11 due to the baseball strike. In the eventual finale, he was 6-for-9 in the last two games and 3-for-5, falling short of batting.400 by three runs by three hits. Fans were waiting for an end to the war and for Gwynn to return to his.400 goal, but hopes of the season were shattered when the World Series was cancelled. "I'm not angry or angry that the strike came," he later said. I take it this way: I would have sooner fell short of the attack than if I had hit.400 and then struck, and then the disaster occurred. Instead of being at.390 and being so close, then people would have guessed I would have collapsed down the stretch. With greater regularity last year, Gwynn began to play more regularly. He finished 10th in the league with a slugging percentage of.568, which was also his career-high. His 12 homers in 419 at-bats were at a higher rate than in 1986, when he reached a new high of 14 homers in 642 at-bats. In 1995, he won his second batting title (.368). He did not go longer than two games without a hit for the second year in a row. He led the NL in batting with runners in scoring position (.394), and he had a high 90 RBI in his second stint (.394). In July, Gwynn's longest hitting streak since 1988's 18-game run in a single game. During the streak, he was 28-for-65 (4.31) with 15 RBI. Despite being out of batting at.400 in 1994, he batted.403 during a 179-game stretch from July 3, 1993 to May 9, 1995.

The Padres won the division in 1996 with 91 victories and returned to the playoffs for the first time in a decade. It was his worst injury season of his career, according to Gwynn. In April, his aching heel was identified as an inflamed bursa sac. He tried several shoes to ease the pain, but after that, he was on the DL for a month. After the season revealed a 40 percent tear (or fraying) at the top of his right Achilles' tendon, he spent the remainder of the year in pain and surgery. In the eighth against the Dodgers, Gwynn scored two runs and broke a 2–2 tie, clinching a playoff spot for the Padres. It was his most memorable regular-season peak before his 3,000th career hit. Chris Gwynn's brother, who played for San Diego last season, and won the division in extra innings, finishing off a three-game sweep over Los Angeles over the season. Chris had only reached.169 for the game, and some fans were mistakenly convinced that he was on the team only because of his brother. Gwynn had chastised followers for booing his brother earlier this week. "I'm just Chris Gwynn's anonymous brother," Gwynn, who also won his seventh batting title on the day, said. Despite being four plate appearances (PAS) short of qualifying for the honor, MLB Rule 10.22(a)—which also came to be known as the Tony Gwynn ruling—permitted hitless at-bats to be added to his record to qualify. With the extra at-bats, Gwynn, who batted.339 in 498 PAs, would have dropped to.349, which is five points better than second-place Ellis Burks'.344. In the first round of the season, the Padres were swept by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Gwynn signed a three-year contract extension for $12.6 million in April 1997. He was able to plant his front foot to pull inside pitches after recovering from his Achilles injury the year before. Gwynn set records last season with 17 home runs and 119 RBIs. He batted.372 for his eighth batting title, second only to Ty Cobb (12). For the seventh time, he led the NL in hits, tying Rose's record. The 220 hits led the majors and set a new team record. With runners in scoring position, Gwynn led the majors with a.459 average. He hit 100 RBIs for the first time in his 16th season. His RBI total stood at the second highest level in club history. He also set a Padres record of 49 doubles, ranking second in the league, and set a career-high of 324 total bases. Gwynn scored his 100th home run off of Donne Wall of Houston's Donne Wall of Houston on June 7, becoming the third Padre to reach the record. On July 14, he was hitting.402 for the first time in the season, the first time he had ever been at.400. However, his average sailed off as he suffered from kidney stones later this month, and he also battled issues with his left knee, which necessitated postseason surgery.

Gwynn batted.321 in 1998 and helped the Padres win their second pennant and a franchise-record 98 games. With 16 home runs for the season, he started the year with his first-ever opening-day home run, and he continued his streak of hitting for more power. After defeating Houston and Atlanta in the playoffs, the Padres advanced to the World Series in 1998. Despite Gwynn's hitting.500 (8-for-16) in the series, the Padres lost to the Yankees in a four-game sweep; the majority of the team batted only.203. In the first game at Yankee Stadium against pitcher David Wells, who called it his favorite hit and highlight of his career, Gwynn hit a home run off the second-deck facade. "That's the biggest game in the world, a World Series game." And the fact that it was in Yankee Stadium in New York. "I'll remember it forever," the singer said.

In the first half of 1999, Calf injuries forced Gwynn to miss 44 games. He led Williams to the mound and then steaded his friend in tossing out the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park in Boston, 1999 All-Star Game. It was Gwynn's most memorable All-Star moment in his career. As he approached 3,000 career hits in July, two anonymous Padres said that there was just too much focus on achieving the milestone. In addition, Jim Leyritz, who was traded from the Padres to the Yankees, said that Gwynn lacked the "intangibles" of a team player. Following Gwynn's dismissal for a pinch runner in his 2,994th game, Padres fans gave him a standing ovation. He took his first game against the Cardinals on the road, racking up to 3,000 hits on the road. He hit 2,998 runs on August 4, including a grand slam, bringing a standing ovation from the St. Louis crowd after each hit. In the same game where the Cardinals' Mark McGwire scored his 500th home run in the following day, Gwynn hit number 2,999. In the first inning off Montreal Expos pitcher Dan Smith, Gwynn hit his 3,000th base with a single on August 6. In the game, he had four hits. On August 6, which is also the birthday of Gwynn's mother, he had his 2,000th birthday. The milestone was postponed due to a left calf injury that forced him to the DL twice this season, requiring him to miss 44 games. He played in 2,284 games, the third-fewest games among the 22 players to reach the top, behind Cobb (2,135) and Nap Lajoie (2,224). In fewer games or at-bats (8,874) than Gwynn, there were no players born after 1900.

Before undergoing season-ending surgery, Gwynn, who turned 40 in 2000, sustained a left knee injury that required his knee to be drained seven times. He was limited to 36 games in the Padres' first 71 games, and he played only 26 games in right field. From May 19 to June 23, he batted.408 runs to raise his average from 196 to.323. Gwynn underwent microfracture surgery on his knee, which required tiny holes to promote cartilage growth.

For the first time, the Padres bought out their $6 million option on Gwynn for 2001, instead paying him $2 million. After weeks of tense talks, Gwynn re-signed with the Padres in 2001, pledging another $3.7 million in performance compensation. However, he was hampered this season by injuries to his right leg, which had been his "good leg," and he was limited to just 17 games on the field. He missed 64 games in the first half of the season due to a right hamstring injury that resulted in two stints on the DL. He began having problems with his right knee after returning from work. Due to a torn meniscus in the right knee, he was limited to pinch-hitting duties and started only one game after mid-July. On June 28, Gwynn announced that he would leave the season at the end of the season, and that at every stadium the Padres visited, he received an ovation. At the 2001 All-Star Game, he was honoured as a non-playing squad member. Commissioner Bud Selig presented the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award during the game. He and Cal Ripken, who had announced his resignation nine days before Gwynn, were presented with the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award. Gwynn had a pinch RBI double off Gabe White of Colorado for his last hit of his career on October 6, 2001. He considered playing in the next day of the season, but was not positive he would be able to handle a fly ball. In his last game, he pinch hit in the ninth inning, grounding out to shortstop. Despite being limited to just 112 plate appearances, Gwynn finished the season with a.324 average, his 19th straight season batting at least.300.

Post-playing career

Gwynn served as the SDSU baseball head coach for 12 seasons, compiling a 363–363 record, as well as three NCAA Tournament appearances. After Jim Dietz's announcement that he would step down after the 2002 season, he lobbied for the coaching position during his last season with the Padres. Gwynn started as an unpaid volunteer coach in 1999 with a base salary of $100,000 beginning in 2002. The baseball team was fined with a scholarship decrease for failing to comply with the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate in the five-year period from 2007 to 2011. However, Gwynn's teams' academic results increased in the five years that ended in 2012. In five of Gwynn's last seven seasons, the Aztecs made NCAA Tournament appearances three times, and three more in their final six seasons. As the Aztecs' coach, Gwynn oversaw the growth of future big leaguers like Justin Masterson and Stephen Strasburg. In 2009, there was 1 overall draft pick.

Gwynn's bout with cancer had him missing time on a regular basis. Since recovering from surgery, he missed the 2012 season and 2013 games while awaiting a medical trial. He was offered a one-year employment extension days before his death in June 2014, but he had been on a leave of absence since March while recovering from cancer treatment.

Gwynn was also a broadcaster, assisting in the development of ESPN as a game and studio analyst. He has worked on TBS in the post-season and as an expert analyst for Yahoo! Sports. He has worked as a color analyst for Padres games on Channel 4 in San Diego and later Fox Sports San Diego.

Gwynn joined a group led by actor Thomas Tull in May 2012 to try to purchase the Padres from Moores. Gwynn had no financial interest in the company, and Tull withdrew his offer in June.

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