Tony Gwynn
Chronology
| 1960 | Born May 9 in Los Angeles, California |
| 1977-81 | Plays point guard for San Diego State University basketball team |
| 1979-81 | Plays baseball with San Diego State University Aztecs |
| 1980 | As Aztec, bats .423, with six home runs |
| 1981 | As Aztec, bats .416, with 11 home runs; is drafted by San Diego Padres pro baseball team and San Diego Clippers pro basketball team on same day (June 10); marries Alicia Cureton (they will have two children, Anthony II and Anisha Nicole); begins career with Padres with Walla Walla team in Rookie Northwest League, where he is named Most Valuable Player |
| 1982 | Plays first major league game, on July 19; breaks wrist and misses three weeks' play |
| 1983 | A second wrist injury stalls season, but Gwynn finishes batting .309, with team-record 25-game hitting streak |
| 1984 | Leads team to National League Championship Series against Chicago Cubs |
| 1985 | Injures wrist again, but makes All-Star team for second time |
| 1986 | Wins first of five Gold Glove Awards; ties a major-league record with five stolen bases on September 20 |
| 1987 | Hits .370, with Padres record 218 hits, highest batting average since Stan Musial's .376 in 1948 |
| 1988 | In spite of two injuries, has 18-game hitting streak and finishes with .318 average |
| 1989 | Has another All-Star, Gold Glove season, in spite of wrist and Achilles tendon injuries; files for bankruptcy, citing problems caused by his accountant |
| 1990 | Fractures index finger and misses 19 games but still bats above .300; tensions develop between him and some Padres team members, and a Gwynn figurine is found in the dugout with its arms and legs torn off; negotiates a five-year, $16.25 million contract with Padres |
| 1991 | Loses 21 games to arthroscopic surgery on left knee, bats above .300 |
| 1992-93 | Has two more knee surgeries but records 2,000th hit in 1993; father dies in winter of 1993 |
| 1994 | Has difficult year after loss of his father; stops training after fourth knee surgery; friend Eric Show dies of drug overdose; Major League Players Association strike halts season on August 12, as Gwynn is near to hitting .400 for season |
| 1995 | Bats .368 and has award-winning season; receiving honors for both baseball and charitable work |
| 1996 | Injures right heel and misses 56 games but bats .353 and hits a two-out, two-run eighth-inning single that he calls biggest hit of his career |
| 1997 | At age 37, has finest season of his career, batting .372; Padres extend his contract through 2000; Tony Gwynn Stadium opens as new home of the San Diego State University baseball program |
| 2001 | At age 41, announces retirement from professional baseball on June 28, effective at the end of the season; is named head baseball coach at San Diego State University (SDSU) on September 20, effective June 1, 2003—he will work as a volunteer coach during the 2002 school year; begins building Church's Chicken franchise restaurants through his company Gwynn Sports |
Additional topics
Famous Sports StarsBaseballTony Gwynn Biography - Young Athlete, "mr. Padre", Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments, Tony On Tape, Winning Through The Pain - CONTACT INFORMATION