Anthony Keith Gwynn, Sr., better known as Tony Gwynn, was a baseball pro who played for the San Diego Padres. He was born on May 9, 1960 in Los Angeles, California to Charles and Vendella Gwynn. The family moved to Long Beach, California when he 9 years old. He had two brothers, an elder brother who became a teacher and a younger brother who followed in Tony’s footsteps to become a baseball player. Tony’s parents were honest, hardworking folk who taught their children good principles and encouraged them to persevere and work hard. During his childhood, Tony was both a baseball and a basketball fan and often went to watch his favorite players at Major League Baseball (MLB) games.
He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School and then San Diego State University. During his first year of university, he only played basketball as that was the sport he initially intended to pursue. However, one of his friends convinced the baseball coach to try out Gwynn for the baseball team, since there were openings. During his university career, Gwynn played three seasons of baseball and four seasons of basketball. After leaving college, he joined the Minor Baseball Leagues for two years between 1981 and 1982, after being selected in the draft by the San Diego Padres. He was also selected for basketball by the NBA team the San Diego Clippers, but he chose baseball, citing it as a practical decision based on his height and physical attributes. His career with the Minor Leagues was successful, and he earned the most valuable player honors during his tenure.
In 1982, Tony Gwynn moved to the major leagues. His first game was against the Philadelphia Phillies in which he scored a double. He started recording his performances at bat so he could review his technique, which proved to be a very effective method to improve his game. His first full season was in 1984, the same year that San Diego won their first National League (NL) West title. Gwynn was chosen to start in his first All Star Game in which he won his first batting title. He
