Tony Gwynn, Sr. is dead at the age of 54. Gwynn passed away on Monday after a long but private battle with mouth cancer. One of the most beloved figures in sports history, a tearful obituary was delivered that day by Keith Olberman. And now the MLB will be releasing an informational video about smokeless tobacco, namely chewing tobacco, including a message from Gwynn from beyond the grave. The anti-tobacco ad, it is hoped, will deter young players from getting into the dangerous and addictive habit.
While baseball commissioner Bud Selig has expressed a desire to ban its use from the league, the players' union won't allow the removal of chewing tobacco from the game. They insist instead on discretion and education, letting the adult players use it at their own risk (via USA Today):
"'People understand the risks involved and still choose to do it,' Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. 'We all do stupid things, whatever your vice happens to be. People may criticize these guys for dipping, and then somebody's texting and driving.'
"'It's one of those things that's scary and obviously you hope you're not the one,' said A's catcher Stephen Vogt, who said he dips once in a while. 'I don't think it's good. I definitely don't advocate it, but at the same time, it's an adult decision.'''
Tony Gwynn will be remembered not for how he died, and for better or worse, he won't be remembered for how he lived either. Gwynn will be remembered by most people as one of the greatest hitters in the history of the game of baseball, with the stats to prove it.
A lifelong disciple of Ted Williams, many have compared the two players' almost Zen-like ability to put the ball in play (via Deadspin):
"When he was in high school, his older brother Charles turned him on to Ted Williams's The Science of Hitting, and throughout his career Gwynn thought deeply about what worked and what didn't at the plate."
It is telling, though, that Gwynn later wrote a book of his own called The Art of Hitting.
Watch friend Keith Olberman's emotional eulogy here:
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