Tony Gwynn

Although he became a free agent in 2001, Gwynn stayed on with the Padres to finish out his career. After 3,141 hits and finishing with a batting average of .338, he retired from the Padres at the end of the 2001 season. His teammates presented him with a motorcycle during a ceremony at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, as some 60,000 fans cheered him goodbye. After his twenty years with the Padres, he said, "I feel I've done all I can do as a baseball player."

Tony Gwynn is a student of baseball, a hitter who never stopped trying to perfect his swing, to know his pitchers, and to help his team win. He holds five of the top eleven batting averages for a single season compiled since the end of World War II and tied with Honus Wagner for the most National League batting titles (eight). He is also an affable, easygoing person, always attentive to the media and the fans. Tony and Alicia Gwynn are famous for their charitable work with young people. Tim Kurkijan of Sports Illustrated once called Gwynn "probably the most popular and successful player in San Diego sports history" and "one of baseball's most good-natured people."