Christmas Gift From Max - Signed 1987 Topps Tony Gwynn All Star

I got some nice Christmas gifts from friends and family this year, and wanted to kick off the posts with a tough card to get for my 1987 Topps set.

My good friend, Max, has helped me so much with this set.  He has hooked me up with some tough-to-find cards, and this Gwynn is definitely one of them.  Gwynn passed away not too long ago (2014), but that was well before I was trying to get this set signed.

Thanks so much for the card, Max!

Rest in Peace, Tony Gwynn

Today, the baseball world mourns the sudden loss of one of the greatest hitters of all-time, Hall of Famer, Tony Gwynn,  Gwynn had been batting mouth cancer since 2010, when he underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his cheek.  He underwent a second surgery in 2012 to remove another tumor that had become wrapped around a nerve in his face.  It appeared that Gwynn was on the road to recovery, until he took a leave of absence from his coaching position at San Diego State University in February.

A smokeless tobacco user for decades, Gwynn felt that he developed the cancer due to his habit. Ultimately, his life was claimed this morning at the age of 54 by salivary gland cancer.

From the folks I have talked to today, including a friend of mine who works for the Padres, Gwynn's passing is a great shock to the baseball community.  Outpourings of grief and emotion have have inundated social media applications such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

The City of San Diego will be in mourning for a long time, I'm afraid, as Gwynn was the face, the heart and the soul of the Padres franchise.  I do believe they have been rocked to the core by the news.

Gwynn played for the Padres from 1982 to 2001 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2007.  He was an 8-time NL batting champion and a 15-time All Star. He appeared in both of the Padres World Series.

I never got the chance to meet Gwynn, but I did see him during last year's Hall of Fame parade.  I remember telling Drew that Gwynn did not look good at all, but little did I know the cancer would claim him almost a year later.

I've been really sad all day long.  Gwynn was one of the players I follwed as I was growing up.  Not nearly as much as Cal, but I always respected Gwynn because of his superb batting skills and I (and others) thought he had a legitimate chance to surpass the .400 batting mark before the players' strike of 1994 ended the season prematurely.

I now will close by offering my prayers and condolences to all of Gwynn's family, friends, fans and colleagues.  He leaves behind a huge legacy and I doubt I will see another hitter like him in my lifetime.  God bless and rest in peace, Tony Gwynn.

Hall of Fame Baseball Ebay Success - Tony Gwynn

I got this sweet baseball signed by Tony Gwynn off of Ebay and it arrived at my doorstep yesterday afternoon. I had been checking on prices to Gwynn baseballs ever since I learned that he had battled mouth cancer after years of smokeless tobacco use. I have always been a big fan of Gwynn. I was real ashamed when I heard from my good friend P.A. that Gwynn was less than personable at a recent signing last summer in Durham. I'm hoping it can be chalked up to maybe it being because Gwynn had learned of his diagnosis with the cancer instead of it being because he was a jerk. From everything else I have heard, he is one of the nicest guys in baseball. I take P.A.'s word on it though, because you seriously can't find a nicer guy than him.

Anyway, Gwynn had an amazing career. He played his entire career with the Padres from 1982 to 2001. He hit over .300 in each season he played with the exception of his 1982 campaign (he played in 54 games that season). Although he won eight batting crowns, he never finished higher than 3rd in the NL MVP voting (1984). His 3,141 hits rank 18th all-time and his career .338 batting average ranks 19th all-time. His .394 batting average in 1994 is the closest any player has come to batting above .400 since Ted Williams did it in 1941.

Gwynn is my 29th Hall of Famer.