If you’re looking for a source of inspiration this New Year, then look no further than Tony Gwynn, who recently learned he would be joining the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Gwynn, the San Diego Padres former right fielder for 20 years, will officially be enshrined July 29.
Even if you’re not much of a baseball fan, or a sports fan at all, you can’t help but be inspired by Gwynn’s story. When the Long Beach, Calif. native began his collegiate career at San Diego State, he seemed more destined for a basketball career than baseball.
Instead, he chose to pursue a career on the diamond, not the hardwood, and what a decision it was. Not that it appeared to make much sense back then.
Gwynn was drafted by the then-San Diego Clippers, who wanted him to pursue a professional hoops career. On the surface, basketball would appear to be a lot easier way to achieve success than baseball. After all, baseball is a sport in which failure is more commonplace than success, where earning one base hit every three at-bats ” failing the other two times ” is considered outstanding.
Not hard to understand why, either. In baseball, the hitter has a piece of lumber in his hand, and he must somehow manage to hit a small ball being thrown his way at only a mere 95 miles per hour. Or one that changes direction at the last minute at 90 miles per hour, like a curve ball.
Gwynn rarely missed. He got to bat 9,288 times over 20 years with the Padres. The umpire said “strike three, you’re out!” to Gwynn just 434 times. Not only that, he had the highest batting average in the National League on eight different occasions ” the first time in 1984 and the last time in 1997, 13 years later. Now that’s consistency. In fact, only one other player in the history of baseball won more batting titles than Gwynn (Ty Cobb).
How did Gwynn do it? He outsmarted the competition. Before the VCR was even in vogue, he would study videotapes of his at-bats and opposing pitchers down to the slightest detail. No one before him had even conjured up such an idea.
He was not only smart, he was also focused. I’ve been covering professional baseball for nearly 10 years, and no athlete was more focused than Gwynn. And to this day, no athlete has been more accommodating to the media than Gwynn.
But when it was time to go to work, Gwynn was all focus. A colleague of mine relates a story of asking the slugger for a short interview. Bad timing.
“Can’t talk now,” Gwynn politely but firmly told the reporter. “Game time.”
You can’t argue with his approach. During much of his career, Gwynn played on some awfully lousy Padres teams, including in 1994 when the club was an abysmal 47-70. That didn’t stop Gwynn from batting .394, the highest league batting average since 1930.
That was also the year the season ended abruptly because players and owners could not agree on a contract.
What a shame. When the season stopped on Aug. 12, 1994, few baseball fans could have imagined that Gwynn’s chance at becoming the first player since San Diego native Ted Williams to bat .400 or better would be denied. Somehow players and owners would soon kiss and make up. But they didn’t.
The summer of 2007 might also be tainted in shame. Barry Bonds, the most unapproachable professional athlete I’ve ever encountered and colossal king of arrogance, may break baseball’s all-time home-run record. Although it’s never been proven he cheated, Bonds’ head, neck and arms have grown abnormally enormous over the years, leading to suspicions he took steroids, a performance-enhancing drug. A federal grand jury is investigating his past behavior.
Gwynn thinks another potential steroid suspect, Mark McGwire, deserves to be in the hall. I couldn’t disagree more. McGwire, like Bonds, has never tested positive for steroids but his refusal to answer questions on the subject at a 2003 congressional hearing has led to questions of his past behavior, too.
On July 29, 2007, however, there won’t be any doubts in Cooperstown, New York. On that day, Gwynn will officially become a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
And for all the right reasons: smarts, focus and determination.
Gwynn’s career is proof anyone can accomplish anything in life when given an opportunity to succeed ” and do it the right way. Thanks for the inspiration, Tony, and congratulations.