People say you can tell a lot about a person by how they treat people that are around them, especially those that are not in their circle. My first taste of that also came in 1990 at the hands of a crotchety “Sweet Lou” Pinella, manager of the Reds that year. He was one of my dad’s favorite players. I tried to get him to sign a ball for my father during a lull before batting practice one day. Between the expletives, I am sure he told me to do something with that baseball that is anatomically impossible. Thanks Lou! You have a great day, too!
Tony Gwynn, however, was a polar opposite. You could ask him a question about anything and he always took time to answer. Gwynn never treated anyone with disrespect and was a true gentleman. He understood his role as an ambassador for the sport. I don’t know how he really did as a college coach, but I bet his players learned many valuable life lessons during his tenure. Even during games, we would bang on the plexiglass wall separating us from the playing field and he would turn around and give us a wave of the glove. Gwynn truly seemed to be a people person.
Fans will remember him for his offense, but he also won multiple Gold Gloves. That was what originally caught my eye. The first day into Atlanta Fulton County Stadium during every road trip, he worked on defense. He was one of the few players that shagged live fly balls during batting practice. Then, he would get a coach to hit balls into the corners of right field so he could see how the ball would carom off at different angles. Gwynn would have balls hit to the wall to gauge the warning track and how the ball would come off it. Many superstars would have been satisfied with the offensive numbers, but not him.
As my contemporaries are starting to fade into the sunset, I am starting to appreciate them a lot more. Tony Gwynn was a person pretty close to my age that was a great player, but more importantly a great person. Many people are better off having been in his presence. I wish his family the best.