Today marks a special day for Major League Baseball.
On this date in 1960, an MLB legend was born.
His name was Tony Gwynn.
Gwynn was certainly a legendary star.
He spent his entire career with the San Diego Padres, reaching the big leagues at the age of 22 in 1982.
The slugger retired after the 2001 season at the age of 41.
Six years later, Gwynn was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, officially earning his place among the greats in MLB history.
On Twitter, MLB posted a nice tribute to the late Padres legend, while also listing some of his most impressive accomplishments over his 20-year career.
15 All-Star Games
8 batting titles
7 Silver Sluggers
5 Gold Gloves
.338 career batting average
19 seasons hitting above .300
2007 @baseballhall inducteeThinking of the legendary Tony Gwynn on what would have been his 63rd birthday. pic.twitter.com/6tibKnlSa7
— MLB (@MLB) May 9, 2023
Gwynn was a 15-time All-Star and eight-time batting champion.
He also won five Gold Gloves and seven Silver Slugger Awards.
Over the course of his legendary career, Gwynn had a WAR of 69.2 and hit a total of 135 home runs.
He also had a lifetime batting average of .338 and picked up a total of 3,141 hits in 9,288 at-bats.
Gwynn helped guide the Padres to the World Series in 1998, where they were swept by the New York Yankees.
After his retirement, he worked as a coach at San Diego State University, where he helped influence talented stars such as Washington Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg.
Gwynn sadly passed away in 2014 after a bout with cancer, but his legendary accomplishments live on in the history of baseball and his greatness will never be forgotten.
His accomplishments in San Diego earned him the nickname “Mr. Padre.”
Today would have been the Padres legend’s 63rd birthday.
NEXT: A Clayton Kershaw Joke Came Back To Haunt The Padres
