Baseball Hall Of Famer, Tony Gwynn Dies

(AP Photo/Mike Groll, File)

Major League Baseball is mourning the loss of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn.

FOX News Radio’s Paul Stevens looks back at his life:

Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, dying at 54– after a long battle with cancer. Gwynn– known as “Mr. Padre”, spending his entire 20 year career with the San Diego Padres.

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Fifteen all-star games, eight batting titles and over 3,100 hits, sending him to the Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Gwynn: “I don’t think any of us thought that hitting a fig or hitting a sock ball or hitting a taped up wad of tape was going to turn into this. It’s just unbelievable.”

Gwynn excelling at baseball and basketball at San Diego State and also picked in the 1981 NBA Draft, by the then San Diego Clippers. Gwynn spending his last few years as San Diego state’s head baseball coach.

Paul Stevens, FOX News Radio.

(AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig issued the following statement regarding the passing of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn:

“Major League Baseball today mourns the tragic loss of Tony Gwynn, the greatest Padre ever and one of the most accomplished hitters that our game has ever known, whose all-around excellence on the field was surpassed by his exuberant personality and genial disposition in life. Tony was synonymous with San Diego Padres baseball, and with his .338 career batting average and eight batting titles, he led his beloved ball club to its greatest heights, including two National League pennants.”

“Tony loved our game, the city of San Diego and his alma mater where he starred and coached, San Diego State University, and he was a part of a wonderful baseball family. His commitment to the children of San Diego made him a deserving recipient of our game’s highest off-field honor, the Roberto Clemente Award, in 1999.”

“For more than 30 years, Tony Gwynn was a source of universal goodwill in the National Pastime, and he will be deeply missed by the many people he touched. On behalf of all of our Clubs, I extend my deepest condolences to Tony’s wife Alicia, their son Tony Jr. of the Phillies, their daughter Anisha, the Padres franchise, his fans in San Diego and his many admirers throughout Baseball.”