AllMovie

Factsheet

• Excelled at both baseball and basketball while at San Diego State University, setting school records in the latter for assists in a game (18), season (216) and career (590).
• Drafted by the NBA's San Diego Clippers with the 10th overall pick on the same day he was drafted by baseball's San Diego Padres with the 58th overall pick.
• Swung one of the smallest bats in the Major Leagues, saying the lighter weight made for an easier transition from college aluminum bats.
• Equaled National League records for career batting titles (eight) and stolen bases in a game (five, in 1986; since broken). 
• Retired with a career batting average of .338, the highest since Ted Williams.
• Funded a major renovation of SDSU's baseball facility, renamed Tony Gwynn Stadium in 1997.
• Returned to his alma mater in 2002 as an assistant baseball coach, moving up to head coach in 2003. 
• Recognized for his achievements at San Diego's Petco Park by the stadium's street address (19 Tony Gwynn Way); the retired jersey No. 19 in center field; and a bronze statue in Tony Gwynn Plaza outside the stadium, featuring a plaque that reads "Mr. Padre."
• Inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007 along with Cal Ripken Jr., who, like Gwynn, spent his entire career with one team. At the time, Gwynn was the only Hall of Famer to never be a teammate of another Hall of Famer (this changed with the induction of ex-Padre Rich Gossage in 2008).