The baseball world is in shock Monday with news that San Diego Padres great Tony Gwynn has died at age 54 following a battle with salivary gland cancer.
One of the greatest hitters in MLB history, Gwynn had 3,141 hits and a .338 batting average over 20 seasons, all with the Padres.
Tributes began pouring in on Twitter immediately following news of his passing.
Wow. Sad to hear of the passing of Tony Gwynn. Thoughts and prayers are with his family and all of the baseball family.
— Evan Longoria (@Evan3Longoria) June 16, 2014
RIP, Tony Gwynn. incredible hitter, one of the best ever. #padres
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) June 16, 2014
Gwynn’s passing a blow for MLB. Career .338 hitter. Dunn, Davis & Alvarez have as many Ks since 2012 as Gwynn did during entire career.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) June 16, 2014
Tony Gwynn not only was one of the all-time great players, but also one of the all-time great people. RIP
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 16, 2014
Tony Gwynn was the best pure hitter I ever faced! Condolences to his family.
— greg maddux (@gregmaddux) June 16, 2014
Commissioner Bud Selig's statement on Tony Gwynn's death. (via @MLB_PR) pic.twitter.com/QyoF6ZfXRt
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 16, 2014
RIP Tony Gwynn, my favorite All Star Baseball disc ever: #7 & #13 R singles, as U might expect http://t.co/CelL3cXK3T pic.twitter.com/4IcFvYk8Jt
— Daryl Morey (@dmorey) June 16, 2014
We mourn the passing of Hall of Famer and @Padres icon Tony Gwynn, who died today at the age of 54. pic.twitter.com/lXPEVSzRj3
— MLB (@MLB) June 16, 2014
Tony Gwynn, one of the nicest men I've ever had the pleasure of interviewing, has died. Wow. That's a sad one.
— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) June 16, 2014
Tony Gwynn, the greatest hitter of his generation, one of the greatest hitters ever to play in Major League Baseball, has died at 54.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 16, 2014
Tony Gwynn, as natural at the plate as there was, dead at the age of 54.
— steve simmons (@simmonssteve) June 16, 2014
Today we lost a great baseball player today one that was awesome to watch and hear about. The great Tony Gwynn. Prayers with him and family
— Derek Holland (@Dutch_Oven45) June 16, 2014
You will hear a ton of amazing stories today about what a #HOF person Tony Gwynn was. Every single one of them will be true. Every one.
— Scott Miller (@ScottMillerBbl) June 16, 2014
Whenever anyone asked about my favorite player I covered on a beat, the answer was always, always Tony Gwynn..can't believe he's gone…
— Bill Plaschke (@BillPlaschke) June 16, 2014
The greatest regret of 1994 is the lost World Series. I sure would've loved to see if Tony Gwynn could've hit .400. He finished at .394.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 16, 2014
First met Tony Gwynn in 1982 through a mutual friend. Always the same guy. Friendly and full of class.
— Mark Gonzales (@MDGonzales) June 16, 2014
Tony Gwynn was first major leaguer ever interviewed. Will never forget his patience and wisdom. I was 19. Spent 45 mins talking hitting. RIP
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) June 16, 2014
I’ll never forget the time Tony Gwynn once gave me as a young baseball fan. Mere seconds, impression lasted a lifetime #RIP
— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) June 16, 2014
What a sad day. Tony Gwynn was not only one of the greatest baseball players, but one of the greatest people on earth. Rest in Peace.#Padres
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 16, 2014
Tony Gwynn was first major leaguer ever interviewed. Will never forget his patience and wisdom. I was 19. Spent 45 mins talking hitting. RIP
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) June 16, 2014
Tony Gwynn's death is a terrible loss for the baseball community. Awful news.
— keithlaw (@keithlaw) June 16, 2014
Condolences to the family and friends of one of the best people ever to play the game. RIP #19, Tony Gwynn.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) June 16, 2014
What a terribly sad day: Tony Gwynn, a dad and husband and a great friend, has passed away.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) June 16, 2014
Tony Gwynn struck out 434 times in 10,232 plate appearances. He faced Pedro 36 times, never K’d. Schilling 43 times, 2 K’s. Wow.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) June 16, 2014
