I'm a Brit and have seen one Major League Baseball game in my life. Cincinnati Reds at the Padres in about '99. Gwynne hit a run, Ken Griffey Jr hit a home run for the Reds, Padres won. I could see how much the fans thought of Tony Gwynne. Bought a mug with his picture on to take home. Memorable experience.
Through the 162-game stretch (counting the beginning of the '95 season after the '94 strike) Tony batted .406 Tony would have hit that .400 mark in '94 no doubt. He will always be robbed of that accolade in my opinion.
Two intresting facts: Tony Gwynn had more 4-hit games than he did games where he struck out twice. Nolan Ryan had more no-hitters than Tony Gwynn had games where he struck out 3 times.
7-1. Gwynn had one three-strikeout game: 1986 vs Bob Welch at The Murph. Friars win it in 11 with a Bochy walk-off dinger. Sidenote: Gwynn actually said Welch struck him out four times but the umpire made a bad call in one of the abs.
Makes me nostalgic for Jack Murphy and the simplicity of things then back in San Diego. No cell phones, summer evening, slower life watching the great TG do this thing.
Grew up watching Winfield and was sad to see him leave town but a couple years later Gwynn appeared and I had a new idol. Having gone to my share of Aztecs games I thought he’d play for the Clippers. Instead he was next face of our franchise. Couldn’t have had a better childhood going to all these games at San Diego Stadium and the Murph. Thanks Tony
So funny. My dad was a huge Padres fan, as I am, and I grew up watching Tony play while my dad drank high life's as well. Hahaha, my first beer was a high life when I was 12, I stole it from my pops.
Best pure hitter since Ted Williams....and by a wide margin. Never struck out more than 40 times in a season. Insane vision and eye hand coordination. If he wanted to he could have put up big hr stats but did not approach the game that way. He is sorely missed.
First major person of note to use video to improve his craft...that began when his average dipped to .229 in his second season (he recovered to hit .309 that year and never dipped below .309 for a season again). Mind you, video recording equipment was heavy then.
Batting average is what I miss in today's game. Tony Gwynn was a great example of that. Now they say batting average isn't as important anymore but I'm old school and batting average is still very important.
I remember watching him from the stands as a little kid... i saw him as the hero to save the day with a guaranteed hit or so i thought back then truly stuff of legends RIP Mr. Padre
If you wanted to show one game of how Tony could hit, this is the game. He hit one off his shoes in the hole between 1st and 2nd, he hit a sharp single up the middle, they tried to pitch him high and up and he pulled one for a double and another for a HR, and then a nice single the other way. When he was locked on, you couldn't throw anything by him he couldn't hit where he wanted to. If I remember correctly, in BP he had a routine where he'd hit so many to left, so many to center, and so many to right, then drop some bunts down each line. Every game. He was fun to watch. I moved to SD after the first WS and left before his second one, so I didn't get to watch him in the post season much live, but he was still the best hitter almost his entire career. I even have his autograph on a ball. Mr Padre indeed.
That fourth hit, the home run, was just immaculate. Up and in, he brings his hands in, stays back just long enough and puts the barrel on the ball. Crazy how well he could do that. He used a 32 inch bat, the shortest ever used in MLB to be able to bring those hands in and barrel up the ball nice and strong on jam jobs.
I'm late to replying, but I am in awe of that swing. The fast twitch muscles just instantly clip upwards and the ball hits the barrel perfectly. Just a masterclass in one swing.
That double was classic Tony turning on the inside pitch and one-bouncing it to the wall in right-center. The only guy I ever saw get to that gapper was Willie McGee. And he only got to it once.
Best hitter the game's see. It's not about the quantity of hits, it's the variety of pitches he can hit. Perfect clip. He owns each far corner of the strike zone. RIP.
Did you notice in this clip how many different pitchers, pitch locations, and velocities he barrelled up? It didn't matter who was throwing what (or where they spotted it). Amazing.
Tony batted .447 against 355 game winner 4 time Cy Young award winner Greg Maddux and trust me in those 107 at bats Tony hit the ball hard right at someone for an out. Chamberlain wasn't the only 1 to say f*** after Tony smoked it 😊
Watching this video if i noticed it correctly this wasnt even his home stadium and everyone still seemed to give respect to the accomplishment...the respect he had is absolutely amazing!!!
John Kruk (first baseman for the Phillies in that game) and Tony Gwynn were roommates in the minor leagues coming up through the Padres minor league system. Weird that you don't see them talking after Tony got his fifth hit of the night.
Yeah, it was good seeing them together here, even if they didn't say anything. (Kruk's at-bat against Randy Johnson is _still_ one of the funniest things in MLB history, IMO.)
MLB fans will always honor and wonder at his ability. How the hell do you hit four something against Greg Maddox? Had to be some combination of unhuman hand/eye coordination with next level brains. Only thing that makes any rational sense but still left with jaw dropped and wondering.
The epitome of tony Gwynns hitting is you look at his 2nd & 3rd hit. One down in the zone and one high. The man covered the whole plate. Pitchers could not lay one in there like they would others
Might be true. Ted Williams has to be the best hitter period. In the modern era, Gwynn, Carew and Boggs put up very similar career numbers and all three put together amazing stretch of seasons. I think Gwynn vs Carew could be a good debate.
Greatest hitter ever...yes better than Williams, Rose, Cobb, etc...the quality of pitching he saw with the addition of middle relievers, specialty closers and that most of his career he had no protection in front or behind him in the line up (maybe 4 years as an exception). And yes I know Rose played in the same era, obviously, but he was on the Big Red Machine after all
0:09 Gwynn was batting an amazing .367 early in the season around late April. He finished the season batting .394. Meaning he batted like .400 the rest of the season.
Love that the editor of the video kept in the "On This Day" about Ted Williams. Great trivia fact! Tony was really feeling it that day. Wonder if he'd be a victim of the shift in today's game, or if he would just beat you no matter how you play him.
As a Dodger fan for over 50 years, I hated the Padres and mostly saw them as doormats. But Tony Gwynn was another story. I respected him more than anyone else in Baseball. Greg Maddox would talk about how between fastballs and curves and sliders and most of all a good change up hitters didn’t have a chance against pitchers.He would then add a bunch of expletives in and say; except Tony Gwynn. When Gwynn was at the plate, every PLAYER watched.
Look up his career stats/awards and it’ll show you why he’s the greatest contact hitter ever. Don’t forget he played against HOF pitchers in their prime also
I like the way MLB uniforms use to fit in the 1980's and 1990's. Today the uniforms are too baggy which in turn makes them look less like sports wear and more like street clothes.
I'm a Brit and have seen one Major League Baseball game in my life. Cincinnati Reds at the Padres in about '99. Gwynne hit a run, Ken Griffey Jr hit a home run for the Reds, Padres won. I could see how much the fans thought of Tony Gwynne. Bought a mug with his picture on to take home. Memorable experience.
I love you
awesome story thanks for sharing
Wtf is “ hit a run “. Do you mean he had a base hit and it scored a run ? No wonder you ain’t a empire anymore
@@MM-qi5mk lol I'm sure you're an expert or cricket as well. By the way its an before empire not a.
Awesome memory and thank you for sharing. Keep that mug!
Tony Gwynn was the man and he still IS THE MAN.
Tony Gwynn, Ken Griffey Jr, awesome players.
MANCHESTER UNITED F.C but not one of those soccer players could ever hit like Mr. Padre
@@TheGeoScholar Barry bonds
@M no one cares
@M Tony Gwynn hitting balls go brrrrr
If not for the strike, Tony Gwynn might have had a .400 batting average that year.
That would’ve been amazing.
Through the 162-game stretch (counting the beginning of the '95 season after the '94 strike) Tony batted .406
Tony would have hit that .400 mark in '94 no doubt. He will always be robbed of that accolade in my opinion.
No doubt
Conspiracy
Fucked over Mattingly really bad too. Would have been a career year for him.
Two intresting facts:
Tony Gwynn had more 4-hit games than he did games where he struck out twice.
Nolan Ryan had more no-hitters than Tony Gwynn had games where he struck out 3 times.
Wow very cool
this is the stat i throw out to people who appreciate baseball stats.
While reading this I chuckled twice. Thank you for the details.
In his entire career Tony Gwynn hit more doubles than he stuck out.
7-1. Gwynn had one three-strikeout game:
1986 vs Bob Welch at The Murph. Friars win it in 11 with a Bochy walk-off dinger.
Sidenote:
Gwynn actually said Welch struck him out four times but the umpire made a bad call in one of the abs.
Makes me nostalgic for Jack Murphy and the simplicity of things then back in San Diego. No cell phones, summer evening, slower life watching the great TG do this thing.
Tailgating....UNLIKE Dodger Stadium
You know you can turn off your phone, right?
KGB radio the San Diego Chicken 👌🏽
@@user-gb2nv4ho7t The Sky Shows...
Greatest hitter I’ve ever seen. R. I. P.
John Kruk wasn't THAT good.
@@Pwnzistor Yes, he was. He was right there near the top, which his career stats prove.
@@Pwnzistor you suck at baseball im sure
he hit .394 that season, absolutely unreal
Would've hit .400 if wasn't for the strike!
@@thomassalas5191 YES, Gwynn would have. the brother was in a ZONE that year/season.
1:45
Cameraman was ready for that shot
@Don Clark I think u mean 1:47 XD
Nice
Ah you beat me to it....I was about to comment "really nice hitting at 1:45"
Greatest pure hitter of our generation.
Rod Carew, previous generation.
I was at this game, and that season I watched Gwynn, who was totally in the zone, have one of the greatest hitting seasons in MLB history.
“Hitting .367, so... what else is new”. I’ve been paying attention to baseball for almost 50 years. He’s the best I’ve ever seen.
I'm going to guess your age is maybe like 65, 70, 75? Older? Younger?
Grew up watching Winfield and was sad to see him leave town but a couple years later Gwynn appeared and I had a new idol. Having gone to my share of Aztecs games I thought he’d play for the Clippers. Instead he was next face of our franchise. Couldn’t have had a better childhood going to all these games at San Diego Stadium and the Murph. Thanks Tony
I Love the statue outside of LCF @Petco. Beautiful
R.i.P. The Great Tony Gwynn
I remember watching him play as a kid. Sitting on the living rm floor while pops drinks a high life hahha
Back in the days
So funny. My dad was a huge Padres fan, as I am, and I grew up watching Tony play while my dad drank high life's as well. Hahaha, my first beer was a high life when I was 12, I stole it from my pops.
Best pure hitter since Ted Williams....and by a wide margin. Never struck out more than 40 times in a season. Insane vision and eye hand coordination. If he wanted to he could have put up big hr stats but did not approach the game that way. He is sorely missed.
First major person of note to use video to improve his craft...that began when his average dipped to .229 in his second season (he recovered to hit .309 that year and never dipped below .309 for a season again). Mind you, video recording equipment was heavy then.
Batting average is what I miss in today's game. Tony Gwynn was a great example of that. Now they say batting average isn't as important anymore but I'm old school and batting average is still very important.
Batting average is very Important!
A great person !!
Carew and Gwynn were my favorite players. Both great hitters.
They should have handed out awards to pitchers who struck out tony Gwynn.
How is that not an achievement on "The Show"?
Gwynn, what a hitter, what a class act.
I remember watching him from the stands as a little kid... i saw him as the hero to save the day with a guaranteed hit or so i thought back then
truly stuff of legends
RIP Mr. Padre
If you wanted to show one game of how Tony could hit, this is the game. He hit one off his shoes in the hole between 1st and 2nd, he hit a sharp single up the middle, they tried to pitch him high and up and he pulled one for a double and another for a HR, and then a nice single the other way. When he was locked on, you couldn't throw anything by him he couldn't hit where he wanted to. If I remember correctly, in BP he had a routine where he'd hit so many to left, so many to center, and so many to right, then drop some bunts down each line. Every game. He was fun to watch. I moved to SD after the first WS and left before his second one, so I didn't get to watch him in the post season much live, but he was still the best hitter almost his entire career. I even have his autograph on a ball. Mr Padre indeed.
Just one of the best pure hitters ever.
That fourth hit, the home run, was just immaculate. Up and in, he brings his hands in, stays back just long enough and puts the barrel on the ball. Crazy how well he could do that. He used a 32 inch bat, the shortest ever used in MLB to be able to bring those hands in and barrel up the ball nice and strong on jam jobs.
I'm late to replying, but I am in awe of that swing. The fast twitch muscles just instantly clip upwards and the ball hits the barrel perfectly. Just a masterclass in one swing.
Tony Gwynn hitting .367---so what else is new?
Yeah, he was in a slump at the time.
That double was classic Tony turning on the inside pitch and one-bouncing it to the wall in right-center. The only guy I ever saw get to that gapper was Willie McGee. And he only got to it once.
Luis Arraez has been reminding me on Tony Gwynn! Hope he continues to hit and bring back those Tony Gwynn like hits and swagger!
Best hitter the game's see. It's not about the quantity of hits, it's the variety of pitches he can hit. Perfect clip. He owns each far corner of the strike zone. RIP.
Did you notice in this clip how many different pitchers, pitch locations, and velocities he barrelled up? It didn't matter who was throwing what (or where they spotted it). Amazing.
Feel blessed to have grown up during Tony Gwynn's career. He was such a great player. He and Wade Boggs were my fav players as a kid.
There was just no safe place to pitch that man. Legend.
I MISS T GWYNN! Superb hitter and awesome person!
One of the only batters I’ve ever seen who could literally hit the ball to anywhere he wanted.
Even a .400 hitter only has a 1% chance of going 5 for 5 on any given day
Real padres fans tear up seeing videos of Tony
I hope everyone here finds as much joy in their own life than Tony found in playing baseball.
Tony batted .447 against 355 game winner 4 time Cy Young award winner Greg Maddux and trust me in those 107 at bats Tony hit the ball hard right at someone for an out. Chamberlain wasn't the only 1 to say f*** after Tony smoked it 😊
Born n raised in San Diego and will never leave this city. Tony Gywnn will always be a legend here.
just the best. Everything about Tony Gywnn is classy. Best pure hitter of my generation.
Watching this video if i noticed it correctly this wasnt even his home stadium and everyone still seemed to give respect to the accomplishment...the respect he had is absolutely amazing!!!
Failing 7 times out of ten is good. Gwynn: hold my beer.
No cell phones, low house prices, Not insane traffic like today, only half the track homes built,
TONY GWYNN MR PADRE GRANDE POR SIEMPRE Y PARA SIEMPRE 🙏🙏🙏EL BATEADOR MAS INTELIGENTE QUE A JUGADO ESTE HERMOSO DEPORTE BÉISBOL 💯🥎🥎PADRES FAN.
Mi jugador favorito grex madux no le sacaba de au lo mataba de por vida a madux
Nunca lo poncho maddux eso te dice todo. @@mayobanexgarcia6924
Miss ya T, ❤
This video proves the only reason Tony DIDN'T have a cycle in his career was because he tripped over second base on his second 2B of the night!
John Kruk (first baseman for the Phillies in that game) and Tony Gwynn were roommates in the minor leagues coming up through the Padres minor league system. Weird that you don't see them talking after Tony got his fifth hit of the night.
Yeah, it was good seeing them together here, even if they didn't say anything. (Kruk's at-bat against Randy Johnson is _still_ one of the funniest things in MLB history, IMO.)
the announcer mentioning ted williams first homerun, then tony hitting a homer is eerie.
A pitcher can not able to stop him so whole player association have to make a strike to stop him averaging 400 in 94.
Gwynn was never going to get accused of steroid use, that is for sure.
That’s why he was proudest of his multiple gold gloves in the outfield.
Tony Gwynn is Bat Man Forever.
My favorite of all time. What a class act and arguably the greatest hitter of all time. I miss Tony. RIP brother.
MLB fans will always honor and wonder at his ability. How the hell do you hit four something against Greg Maddox? Had to be some combination of unhuman hand/eye coordination with next level brains. Only thing that makes any rational sense but still left with jaw dropped and wondering.
No shift could defend against Tony
Notorious POS, Curt Schilling, threw at Tony’s knees in his first AB the next game cause they thought he was stealing signs.
EDHOLLA 2 seasons in a row with Harper and no playoffs, ouchhhhhhhhh
When the away team fans are giving you props.
What a great swing. Beautiful in its simplicity. A great player gone far to early.
I love that even some Phillies fans were standing and clapping for Gwynn after the 5th hit.
Greatest hitter i ever saw, RIP Mr. Gwynn
I'm a Yankee fan and had never seen Tony Gwynn play until the 1998 World Series. To say I was amazed would be an understatement.
If he didn’t trip going around second he would’ve had the cycle this night
Exactly
if his double became a triple, he would still need the double...@@IZZY-nk7ss
Machine of hitter... Legend of the baseball....
Tony Gwynn and Paul Molitor. The two best hitters of the 1980s and 1990s.
George Brett and Wade Boggs would like a word
The swing and contact at :31 is simply amazing. Seeing-eye single, sure, but the fact that he still made contact that well is simply amazing.
I bet Gwynn couldn't have had too many hitless games in his career.
In 20 seasons, he struck out three times in a game only once.
The epitome of tony Gwynns hitting is you look at his 2nd & 3rd hit. One down in the zone and one high. The man covered the whole plate. Pitchers could not lay one in there like they would others
Rip Mr Padre.
Best contact hitter ever
Rick Nash no
@Bowie-West, Jayden rod carew
Might be true. Ted Williams has to be the best hitter period. In the modern era, Gwynn, Carew and Boggs put up very similar career numbers and all three put together amazing stretch of seasons. I think Gwynn vs Carew could be a good debate.
Is it me or does that outfield look extra big? His double seemed to just hang in the gap forever.
Greatest hitter ever...yes better than Williams, Rose, Cobb, etc...the quality of pitching he saw with the addition of middle relievers, specialty closers and that most of his career he had no protection in front or behind him in the line up (maybe 4 years as an exception). And yes I know Rose played in the same era, obviously, but he was on the Big Red Machine after all
Tony Gwynn “the Legend”. R. I. P.
0:09 Gwynn was batting an amazing .367 early in the season around late April. He finished the season batting .394. Meaning he batted like .400 the rest of the season.
Another 5 hit performance and another standing O. Enough said. Watch this man kids!
The best hitter in baseball bars none Everytime he hit the ball it was always a hard hit pill rip great Tony gwynn
Here is an interesting fact. Greg Maddux NEVER struck out Tony Gwynn!!! Put that in your pipe and smoke it !!!
If you combine Greg Maddox, Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavin and Tom Smoltz; Gwynn faced them a combined 330 at bats, and was only struck out three times.
Best pure hitter I’ve ever seen
Mr. San Diego and the mayor of Poway . Dodger fan but my home town hitter was T Gwynn! Rest in Love and peace ! Go Aztecs!
One of the best hitters, my favorite player growing up..
awesome footage. even a smooth 60 fps.
R.I.P Jack Murphy Stadium🏟growing up in San Diego California in the Late 80’s & 90’s I had so many Amazing Memories❤️
Love that the editor of the video kept in the "On This Day" about Ted Williams. Great trivia fact!
Tony was really feeling it that day. Wonder if he'd be a victim of the shift in today's game, or if he would just beat you no matter how you play him.
I can imagine Tony Gwynn plays today's game. He's such a great contact hitter that he'll jack up the pitcher's pitch count.
That second hit, how he managed to hit that ball was ridiculous
god gwynn was incredible. Pitchers could throw him nothing but waste pitches all night, and he'd still come away with games like this.
What a shame this season was cut short
As a Dodger fan for over 50 years, I hated the Padres and mostly saw them as doormats. But Tony Gwynn was another story. I respected him more than anyone else in Baseball. Greg Maddox would talk about how between fastballs and curves and sliders and most of all a good change up hitters didn’t have a chance against pitchers.He would then add a bunch of expletives in and say; except Tony Gwynn.
When Gwynn was at the plate, every PLAYER watched.
Imagine the frustration trying 2 pitch 2 him. Throw a strike he hits it, throw a ball he hits that 2. Then some of his hits seem 2 have eyes
Die hard Dodgers fan but couldn’t wait for a series at the Murph. Road trip!
He tripped going around second or it would have been a cycle
1:45 bouncy
The One and Only Sweet Tony! Notice how he uses all fields. No shifts on him.
He mastered the art of hitting. Dude had 220 hits in one season that shit is fucking crazy
Look up his career stats/awards and it’ll show you why he’s the greatest contact hitter ever. Don’t forget he played against HOF pitchers in their prime also
Mr. Padre....enough said.
Gwynn hitting off a stiff front leg with the back foot off ground at 2:10-----masterful hitting approach!
Mr. Padre, RIP. many memories....
Greatest hitter in baseball.
I like the way MLB uniforms use to fit in the 1980's and 1990's. Today the uniforms are too baggy which in turn makes them look less like sports wear and more like street clothes.
I agree with you 100%. Having watched baseball back in the 1990s vs now, the uniforms today tend to be sloppy these days.
Wait, did he say .367???
GODDAMN... He had the flu!!!
Unconscious!!!
He looks like me when im hitting the tee
The "hit king" in my eyes
Dios lo tenga en el cielo 🙏 ❤
Tony Gwynn made it look way too easy.
I have seen some REALLY good hitters. But Tony Gwynn is the very best I have ever seen!!!