The Lasting Impact of Tony Gwynn

On June 16^th, the baseball world truly lost a legend that will be remembered for his actions both on and off the field. Tony Gwynn, given the nickname Mr. Padre, is considered to be one of the most pure hitters in MLB history. A 2007 first ballot Hall of Famer, Gwynn was one of the elite players during his 20 year career. Putting up lifetime averages of a .338 average, 3,141 hits, 8 time batting champ, and being a 15 time all-star proves this point. Yes, Tony was a great player, but many recall him as being a great person. Former Colorado Rockies great, Todd Helton, said, "Tony had a smile that would light up the room. That's who he was. He always had a smile on his face, but he was very hard on himself as a hitter." (Denver Post) Everyone respected Gwynn as a player and an individual. However, while his success on the baseball field will forever be remembered, I feel there will be another area that will have a lasting impact.

Tony Gwynn passed away at the age of 54 due to cancer of a salivary gland that he thought was caused by the smokeless tobacco used during his playing days. Everyone knows how the dipping tobacco habit has become a large trend in this sport. Gwynn picked up the habit during his days in Walla Walla playing rookie ball. However, despite what Gwynn thought, it is not 100 percent certain the cancer was caused by the tobacco. There is no scientific evidence connection chewing tobacco with this type of salivary cancer, but there are plenty of doctors who have witnessed numerous patients develop the cancer with the part of the mouth they chew their tobacco on.

Shortly after the news of Gwynn's death, a couple of former San Diego State players announced they would quit their use of smokeless tobacco after seeing it take the life of the Hall of Famer. Both of these guys were under the tutelage of Gwynn during their stay at San Diego State. One of these was Washington Nationals ace, Stephen Strasburg. In an interview with MLB.com, the pitcher stated, "I want to be around for my family. This is something that can affect people the rest of your life." The other player was Arizona Diamondbacks' closer, Addison Reed, who was a college teammate of Strasburg. I wouldn't be at all surprised if we start seeing more of a trend of current baseball players giving up the habit. Ultimately, it is going to come down to what Major League Baseball chooses to do. With this recent news of Tony Gwynn dying at just 54, MLB will have to answer questions of whether chewing tobacco should continue to be a part of the game. Former catcher, Joe Garagiola, chose to quit this habit and has been urging current players to do it before it is too late. "With oral cancer, you die one piece at a time. They operate on your neck, they operate on your jaw, they operate on your throat." (Mercury News) It's not guaranteed chewing tobacco caused the salivary cancer. However, there is a reasonable possibility it had something to do with it. It will be interesting to see what the next couple of years present in the baseball world on this issue currently looming large in the public. In conclusion, I'll give a quote from Mr. Padre. "Remember these two things: play hard and have fun." A quote that any young baseball player can instill in their own playing style.

Sources Used:
http://blogs.denverpost.com/rockies/2014/06/17/rockies-icon-todd-helton-remembers-greatness-tony-gwynn/17861/
http://www.mercurynews.com/athletics/ci_26050343/tony-gwynns-death-and-baseballs-dirty-habit