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San Diego Padres Fan Honors Tony Gwynn With Outdoor Display

By Phil Watson

Jun 18, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Fans leave flowers and memorabilia to pay their respects to San Diego Padres former player Tony Gwynn at his statue before a game against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 18, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Fans leave flowers and memorabilia to pay their respects to San Diego Padres former player Tony Gwynn at his statue before a game against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /
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One San Diego Padres fan is keeping the late Tony Gwynn close in his thoughts this holiday season with a front-yard lighted display to honor the Hall of Famer who died in June.

FOX Sports and Major League Baseball is still taking heat for the lack of attention it paid at the All-Star Game in July to a man who played in 15 of the things, but one San Diego Padres fan is making sure no one in his neighborhood forgets the late Tony Gwynn.

This display features a cutout of Gwynn, his number in lights, lots of logos, a facsimile of his Hall of Fame plaque and lights … lots of lights.

GWYNN_DISPLAY
Someone really likes Tony Gwynn. (Photo via Reddit) /

Garish? Sure. Over the top? Sure.

But also awesome.

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Gwynn was the San Diego Padres—heck, he was San Diego. A two-sport star at San Diego State, he played his entire major-league career with the Padres—repeatedly turning down more money to remain in San Diego—and after he retired, he coached baseball at San Diego State.

They called him “Mr. Padre” for a reason.

Gwynn is the only player who appeared in both of San Diego’s World Series appearances, in 1984 and 1998, and his .338 average is second-highest in baseball’s integration era (since 1947), behind only Ted Williams’ .340 mark from 1947-60.

Gwynn is 19th all-time with 3,141 hits, won eight batting titles, five Gold Gloves and came the closest to hitting .400 since any player has since Williams was the last to do it in 1941, hitting .394 in the strike-shortened 1994 season.

Just a remarkable hitter, Gwynn had all those hits—including 543 doubles, 85 triples and 135 home runs—in 10,232 plate appearances … and struck out only 434 times.

That’s two years for some of the guys in the game today.

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