Tony Gwynn is a professional baseball player, who had a net worth of $5 million when he died in 2014. Tony Gwynn spent his entire MLB career with the San Diego Padres, from 1982 to 2001. He was one of the finest and most consistent hitters in baseball history, winning eight National League batting crowns and seven Silver Slugger Awards.
Gwynn also won five Gold Glove Awards and appeared in only two World Series games in Padres franchise history. Tony Gwynn died tragically on June 16, 2014, at the age of 54. He had been battling salivary cancer.
Who was Tony Gwynn?
Tony Gwynn was born on May 9, 1960, in Los Angeles, California, to Vendella and Charles. He grew up alongside his older brother Charles Jr. and younger brother Chris, with whom he played baseball in their backyard. Gwynn attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where he played baseball and basketball. In his junior year, he led Poly’s basketball team to go 30-1 and win the Southern Section 4A championship.
How old was Tony Gwynn?
He was 54 years old when he died.
What was Tony Gwynn’s net worth?
He was estimated to be worth $5 Million when he died.
What was Tony Gwynn’s career?
Gwynn earned several scholarship offers for college basketball but none for collegiate baseball. He eventually elected to attend San Diego State University, where he played four years of basketball and three seasons of baseball. Gwynn succeeded in both sports at SDSU, becoming a two-time All-American outfielder in baseball and setting many school records for assists on the basketball team.
The San Diego Padres selected Gwynn in the third round of the 1981 MLB draft as the 58th overall pick. On the same day, the San Diego Clippers selected him in the tenth round of the NBA Draft. Gwynn chose to sign with the Padres in what he called a “practical” move.
He started his professional baseball career in the minors with San Diego’s Class A affiliate, the Walla Walla Padres, where he hit 331 in 42 games. Gwynn completed the 1981 season with the Class AA Amarillo Gold Sox. He won the Northwest League MVP Award this season. Gwynn began the 1982 season with the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders and was promoted to the majors in July.
Gwynn made his MLB debut with the Padres on July 19, 1982, against the Philadelphia Phillies. He batted 289 in 54 games during his first season. Gwynn began the 1983 season on the disabled list and missed the first two months. Although he struggled upon his comeback, he started using video records to examine his at-bats, which helped him improve his game.
Gwynn concluded the abbreviated season with a.309 batting average and a Padres-record 25-game hitting streak. Gwynn set the franchise record for single-season hits with 213 in 1984, winning his first of eight National League batting titles and seven Silver Slugger Awards. The Padres went on to win their first National League pennant, making their first World Series appearance.
The squad ultimately lost the championship to the Detroit Tigers. The following season, Gwynn batted.317. In 1986, he played a career-high 160 games and tied for the NL lead with 107 runs, finishing with a.329 average. Gwynn won his second Silver Slugger Award and first of five Gold Glove Awards.
Despite his major financial issues in 1987, Gwynn remained a top-tier player on the field. In addition to setting many Padres batting records, winning his second batting crown, and receiving consecutive Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards, he led the league in WAR and finished second in stolen bases.
In 1988, Gwynn won another batting crown with a.313 average, the lowest in National League history. That same season, he reached 1,000 career hits. With a.336 hitting average in 1989, Gwynn became the first National League player to win three straight batting titles since Stan Musial from 1950 to 1952.
Following that outstanding season, Gwynn struggled in 1990, becoming distraught about charges made by his teammates that he was more concerned with his hitting average than with winning. He concluded the season batting.309 while also recording a then-career-high 72 RBI. In 1991, Gwynn batted.317. He also surpassed Gene Richards as the franchise’s all-time leader in steals and triples, winning his fifth and final Gold Glove.
Source: www.ghgossip.com
