Tony Gwynn was everything you wanted a sports star to be and what so many sports stars arent: Humble, approachable, a genuinely good guy, he never forgot where he came from and never got too full of himself.
My first ever baseball game was September 6th, 1989--San Diego Padres versus the Houston Astros at the Astrodome. We sat along the first base line, towards right field. My late father explained to me that the man standing in right field for the Padres was the best hitter in baseball. I'll always love Tony Gwynn--I shared an amazing moment with my father because of him, jerry-curl in all.
I tear up every time I even think of Tony Gwynn, As im typing this I have tears running down my face, My all time favorite player, Greatest hitter of all time, RIP #19, Hope your talking to Ted Williams about hitting right now
I'm a lifetime Yankees fan from the Bronx. But I lived in San Diego for ten years. I rooted against the Yankees in the 1998 World Series. For the first and only time.
I hope this never comes down. I come back and watch it every couple of months. Usually produces a tear or two. I loved Tony Gwynn. Hell, I still love Tony Gwynn.
The line "You don't have to have had the privilege of knowing him to be heartbroken right now; what you hoped Tony Gwynn was like, he was like." never fails to affect me.
I saw in person Tony's first ab whilst living in San Diego. And while is wasn't a hit, he drove in a run and one could see the beautiful stroke he possessed. Thank you Mr. Gwynn for the great memories and for your humility and class, something WOEFULLY LACKING today in sports in general.
I may not care for Olbermann's political views, but I'll be damned if he isn't one of the biggest baseball fans in the world, with eloquence to match. Great tribute to one of the greatest hitters anyone of us will ever see.
Beautiful tribute MR Keith Olbermann, your tribute brought up so many great memories of Tony Sr. Its Tony's B-day today and he would've 62 today. Gone way to soon, we saw a great career but losing Tony, we fans got robbed of so many things we could've learned from him after his retirement. I just heard a crack of the bat !!!, Tonny must've got a hit off the good Lord's best fatball !!! RIP Tony.
“‘You just can’t do it,’ Maddux said. ‘Sometimes hitters can pick up differences in spin. They can identify pitches if there are different release points or if a curveball starts with an upward hump as it leaves the pitcher’s hand. But if a pitcher can change speeds, every hitter is helpless, limited by human vision. ‘Except for that (expletive) Tony Gwynn.’”
This is obviously way after the fact but I had to chime in and say what a beautiful tribute this was to my favorite all time player. I still get stupidly emotional every time I see something like this about Tony Gwynn, and this one especially considering that the things I idolized and loved about the man were what was highlighted here. The man he was... the player he was... the epitome of someone who knows that what he does for a living is what most can only dream of, and the things that most players take for granted are what he treasured the most! It’s sad that there are not more players out there like Tony Gwynn... he was a class act first and a bad ass baseball player second! I was born in San Diego just a few years after Tony started his MLB career and he was the reason I fell in love with the game! We moved to the Bay Area when I was 9 and years later I was blessed to see one of his final major league games when the Padres played against the Giants here in SF. My father passed away 4 years before Tony did and I think that’s a part of why things like this make me ridiculously emotional. Our mutual love for Mr. Padre was something we’d shared for as long as I’ve been alive and in a way the day he died was a day I felt like I’d lost part of my Dad yet again. Tony Gwynn has and will always be my favorite all time MLB player.
He was so special. To see him get taken to the cleaners on contract after contract because the Padre management knew he didn't want to leave....it still pisses me off. He was an institution of the city.
That's a great story. It's very close to the experience I had with my dad and Tony except I'm still in San Diego. :) I watch this video once a year and I still cry and I'm a grown ass man who just turned 53!
In 1996, to win the NL West Division Title, Tony Gwynn got the game winning RBI in the second-to-last game, clinching a tie. His brother Chris got the GWRBI the next day, giving the Padres the division title. Those were great days to be a Padres fan.
I went to SDSU at the same time as Tony. I was a hoopster and played pick-up ball with him a few times. He was All WAC in basketball, but just a regular guy loving the game. He was cool with all the players. Class personified.
A good guy in the old fashioned way. I loved his manner almost as much as i love his batting average , and he played for the opposing team. What an example he set as a baseball player. Came back in 2022 to hear KO’s great tribute. I still get 😭
thanks Tony for the memories... saw him hundreds of times... 'now batting for the Padres #19 Tony Gwyn....' oooh man still feels chills down my spine :-(...
What a guy. It isn't true that it is always the good ones that go. But when they go it hurts.I never even heard of Tony Gwynn till now but hearing Keith's eulogy I feel like crying. Rest in peace, man.
I moved to San Diego in 1979. I became a Padre fan soon after. And a Tony Gwynn fan soon after that. To live in San Diego and see the love that this town has for #19 is wonderful. I got to meet him once at a Ford dealership he was connected with. I actually got Tony to laugh. That laugh...All the base hits, all the awards, all the everything...To make Tony Gwynn laugh was the best.
Amazing tribute Keith Olbermann, thank you for sharing your interactions with Tony over the years. It obviously takes one to know one (amazing , selfless human beings that have had positive and profound influences on kids and adults worldwide). Keep on!!
Who are the 6 people that dislike this. I am an absolute wreck right now. Tony Gwynn was that rare exception where he was a better person than player. He was one of best players I have ever seen and easily in the top three hitters as well. Thanks Keith.
Moved to SD in 1993. Didn't see Tony FAIL to win the batting title till 1998. He played one year basically one-legged. His Achilles was so bad it nearly came apart. What he did on those knees was mind-boggling. HOW he did it...with such class, joy and humility...was soul-wrenching. Miss you, Anthony Keith Gwynn!
I have loved and played baseball my whole life and always appreciated Gwynn's skill. That said, if you step back and think about it, it's fascinating that we give so much time, effort, money and adoration to athletes.
Tony was a true good guy in baseball...always had a smile saw him play many times in houston..before and between innings joking with someone from the astros..just good man..
Those of us who have lived in San Diego since the early 80’s know very well his personal and professional attributes of Tony Gwynn. Nothing said by Olbermann could enhance Tony’s reputation.
God damn you Olbermann!!!! Politically I absolutely can't stand you!. But, your sports narrations are as poetic and beautiful as anyone who has ever done them. Nobody comes close to you when it comes to these tributes ( Gordie Howe and Jean Beliveau were also incredible)
Oh wow. Not sure how I did not know or Remember this. Wow. I was not a Padres Fan but still even with that I knew who he was. I enjoyed watching him come to bat against my Atlanta Braves.
Btw, the first Padre to wear #19, in the old PCL, was Teddy Ballgame. The last, was Tony. Ted was born in SD (North Park), and Tony passed in SD. God rest them both.
"What you hoped Tony Gwynn was like; he was like..." That is such a powerful. relevant statement. Great, great tribute!!!
Tony Gwynn was everything you wanted a sports star to be and what so many sports stars arent: Humble, approachable, a genuinely good guy, he never forgot where he came from and never got too full of himself.
He was the best in every way!
8 years later and this tribute still tears me apart.
Happy heavenly 63rd birthday.
My first ever baseball game was September 6th, 1989--San Diego Padres versus the Houston Astros at the Astrodome. We sat along the first base line, towards right field. My late father explained to me that the man standing in right field for the Padres was the best hitter in baseball. I'll always love Tony Gwynn--I shared an amazing moment with my father because of him, jerry-curl in all.
I tear up every time I even think of Tony Gwynn, As im typing this I have tears running down my face, My all time favorite player, Greatest hitter of all time, RIP #19, Hope your talking to Ted Williams about hitting right now
You are not alone. Truly a guy to emulate. Super special
There will never be another Tony Gwynn
Never ever...
no more eloquent a tribute was ever given to a great athlete and an even greater person...
I'm a lifetime Yankees fan from the Bronx. But I lived in San Diego for ten years. I rooted against the Yankees in the 1998 World Series. For the first and only time.
I hope this never comes down. I come back and watch it every couple of months. Usually produces a tear or two. I loved Tony Gwynn. Hell, I still love Tony Gwynn.
Yo, that was a badass tribute. Olberman always brings it when it comes to honoring someone. Respect💯
anybody else tear up ?
The line "You don't have to have had the privilege of knowing him to be heartbroken right now; what you hoped Tony Gwynn was like, he was like." never fails to affect me.
I am
6yrs later and yes!
Everytime I watch this
No, I was just chopping onions. LOL
Tony was a true legend and one of the greatest pure hitters in baseball history
Tony Gwynn was a class act! So much different than most modern players.
I saw in person Tony's first ab whilst living in San Diego. And while is wasn't a hit, he drove in a run and one could see the beautiful stroke he possessed. Thank you Mr. Gwynn for the great memories and for your humility and class, something WOEFULLY LACKING today in sports in general.
I may not care for Olbermann's political views, but I'll be damned if he isn't one of the biggest baseball fans in the world, with eloquence to match. Great tribute to one of the greatest hitters anyone of us will ever see.
Beautiful tribute MR Keith Olbermann, your tribute brought up so many great memories of Tony Sr. Its Tony's B-day today and he would've 62 today. Gone way to soon, we saw a great career but losing Tony, we fans got robbed of so many things we could've learned from him after his retirement. I just heard a crack of the bat !!!, Tonny must've got a hit off the good Lord's best fatball !!! RIP Tony.
We love you TONY GWYNN. Thanks for the memories. 1984 World Series. Mr. Padre. Never caused trouble. A true ICON
I come back to watch this every couple years or so. Never fails to make me tear up a little. Beautiful segment. Thank you.
Did you know today is the 8th Anniversary of his passing?
@@Jusbklyn79 Yeaa I did. I was binging tributes to him 🙏🏻
Tony Gwynn was one of the best human beings God ever made. A LEGEND
Never struck out more than 40 times in one season. We have players today who will strike out 40 times in one month. Man he was a great hitter.
Gwynn was true class in many ways. Imagine having far more doubles during a long career than strikeouts. At age 41, he still hit .324. One of a kind.
Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine? The two pitchers that Tony had his highest career batting averages against. 'Nuff said.
1 1 0 Glavine Smooth Maddox strikeouts when they play in the west
He owned them and they couldn’t figure out why. Nuff said.
“‘You just can’t do it,’ Maddux said. ‘Sometimes hitters can pick up differences in spin. They can identify pitches if there are different release points or if a curveball starts with an upward hump as it leaves the pitcher’s hand. But if a pitcher can change speeds, every hitter is helpless, limited by human vision.
‘Except for that (expletive) Tony Gwynn.’”
THIS IS ONE HELL OF A TRIBUTE...WOW!!!
This is obviously way after the fact but I had to chime in and say what a beautiful tribute this was to my favorite all time player. I still get stupidly emotional every time I see something like this about Tony Gwynn, and this one especially considering that the things I idolized and loved about the man were what was highlighted here. The man he was... the player he was... the epitome of someone who knows that what he does for a living is what most can only dream of, and the things that most players take for granted are what he treasured the most! It’s sad that there are not more players out there like Tony Gwynn... he was a class act first and a bad ass baseball player second! I was born in San Diego just a few years after Tony started his MLB career and he was the reason I fell in love with the game! We moved to the Bay Area when I was 9 and years later I was blessed to see one of his final major league games when the Padres played against the Giants here in SF. My father passed away 4 years before Tony did and I think that’s a part of why things like this make me ridiculously emotional. Our mutual love for Mr. Padre was something we’d shared for as long as I’ve been alive and in a way the day he died was a day I felt like I’d lost part of my Dad yet again. Tony Gwynn has and will always be my favorite all time MLB player.
He was so special. To see him get taken to the cleaners on contract after contract because the Padre management knew he didn't want to leave....it still pisses me off. He was an institution of the city.
That's a great story. It's very close to the experience I had with my dad and Tony except I'm still in San Diego. :) I watch this video once a year and I still cry and I'm a grown ass man who just turned 53!
Mr. Olbermann, thank you so much for this tribute. I watch it every anniversary of his passing and not once have I not shed a tear.
In 1996, to win the NL West Division Title, Tony Gwynn got the game winning RBI in the second-to-last game, clinching a tie. His brother Chris got the GWRBI the next day, giving the Padres the division title. Those were great days to be a Padres fan.
I went to SDSU at the same time as Tony. I was a hoopster and played pick-up ball with him a few times. He was All WAC in basketball, but just a regular guy loving the game. He was cool with all the players. Class personified.
A good guy in the old fashioned way. I loved his manner almost as much as i love his batting average , and he played for the opposing team. What an example he set as a baseball player. Came back in 2022 to hear KO’s great tribute. I still get 😭
You were statistically more likely to see Tony hit a double... than strikeout. Mind boggling.
Maybe my favorite Keith Olbermann piece ever.
thanks Tony for the memories... saw him hundreds of times... 'now batting for the Padres #19 Tony Gwyn....' oooh man still feels chills down my spine :-(...
Thanks for sharing yet another collection of Tony stories. They never get old.
I watch this video at least once a year. Champ 19
What a great ball player but more importantly what a great human.
Great tribute... I hope baseball fans never forget him and will get to know this part of him, the gentleman that we has. You are missed Tony!!!
Tony, I sat behind him every opening season since I was 5 and Tony was my hero
As a conservative, I appreciate Kieth Olbermann.
Powerful....These Damn Allergies !
Outstanding.
Don't agree with everything you say, Mr. O. That's okay. This is America.
But that there is a Grand Slam.
I miss him too. I'll relax!
Would have been 61 today. Happy birthday Tony.
I only met you once, but you had a massive impact on my childhood and development. RIP to the greatest San Diegan.
what a great tribute
Never saw this one. Very heartfelt from Mr. Olbermann. Love Tony Gwynn and always appreciate Keith.
What a guy. It isn't true that it is always the good ones that go. But when they go it hurts.I never even heard of Tony Gwynn till now but hearing Keith's eulogy I feel like crying. Rest in peace, man.
I moved to San Diego in 1979. I became a Padre fan soon after. And a Tony Gwynn fan soon after that. To live in San Diego and see the love that this town has for #19 is wonderful. I got to meet him once at a Ford dealership he was connected with. I actually got Tony to laugh. That laugh...All the base hits, all the awards, all the everything...To make Tony Gwynn laugh was the best.
I just got around to watching this. Thanks for tearing me up. We miss you Mr. Padre!
Amazing tribute Keith Olbermann, thank you for sharing your interactions with Tony over the years. It obviously takes one to know one (amazing , selfless human beings that have had positive and profound influences on kids and adults worldwide). Keep on!!
Who are the 6 people that dislike this. I am an absolute wreck right now. Tony Gwynn was that rare exception where he was a better person than player. He was one of best players I have ever seen and easily in the top three hitters as well. Thanks Keith.
What a great piece. Rest in peace Tony Gwynn Thanks for the Memories
Moved to SD in 1993.
Didn't see Tony FAIL to win the batting title till 1998. He played one year basically one-legged. His Achilles was so bad it nearly came apart. What he did on those knees was mind-boggling. HOW he did it...with such class, joy and humility...was soul-wrenching.
Miss you, Anthony Keith Gwynn!
That was beautiful. Loved him. Our hometown guy.
That's what we miss here in San Diego. A constant real All Star. San Diego was rocking in the 80's and 90's with baseball All Stars!
You got one now!
I have loved and played baseball my whole life and always appreciated Gwynn's skill.
That said, if you step back and think about it, it's fascinating that we give so much time, effort, money and adoration to athletes.
I miss this show so much
Tony's my once and future hero. RIP
I watch this at least 4 times a year: Tony’s bday. The anniversary of his passing and a few times because I miss the hero of my childhood
A beautiful and well done homage to the great Tony Gwynn.
He died and yet curt schilling lived- life is not fair- RIP to a great player and even better person
Tony was a true good guy in baseball...always had a smile saw him play many times in houston..before and between innings joking with someone from the astros..just good man..
Very classy
One of my personal heroes... used to pretend to be Tony when I played ball
Those of us who have lived in San Diego since the early 80’s know very well his personal and professional attributes of Tony Gwynn. Nothing said by Olbermann could enhance Tony’s reputation.
This is amazing. Of all the Tony Gwynn tributes that I have watched on UA-cam, this is the best.
Well done Keith
Thanks, Keith ⚾️ #619
Beautiful
Awesome tribute.
my fav padre
Beautiful. A beautiful tribute for a beautiful man.
Respect
Mr. Olbermann, I don't agree with your politics, but as a lifelong Padres fan, you've gained a fan forever due to this tribute to Mr. Padre.
"From way downtown, BANG!"
Decent men are sorely missed in 2021
just watched a video where he got the call for the Hall of Fame. did not know he died. glad too see he made the Hall of Fame before he died. R.I.P.
God damn you Olbermann!!!! Politically I absolutely can't stand you!. But, your sports narrations are as poetic and beautiful as anyone who has ever done them. Nobody comes close to you when it comes to these tributes ( Gordie Howe and Jean Beliveau were also incredible)
Tony was simply a lovely sweet soul. , that could hit a baseball better than just about anybody!
I play this on the anniversary of his passing of his untimely passing it’s a great anecdote !!
Nice ESPN for Keith Obermann
Oh wow. Not sure how I did not know or Remember this. Wow. I was not a Padres Fan but still even with that I knew who he was. I enjoyed watching him come to bat against my Atlanta Braves.
No other sport besides baseball really has stories as good as these.
One of the greatest human being of all time. #19 is a genuine human being
Dammit man. These emotions 😢
Mr. Olbermann I agree with your politics and agree with your opines on sports and its legendary figures. So damn good!
Olbermann is the best
We miss you so much tony
TG19 forever my hero.
What a gift to the human race a truly beautiful man. James Keeney
Awesome
This man has a way of writing stories and telling them as he does about political reality that just makes u stop and listen.....and listen and enjoy !
Man I loved Tony Gwynn. Always killed my Astros and did work against my Yanks in that 98 series. The definition of greatness and class.
RIP legend.
The best hitter of all time
I’m bias. But I personally think the best pure hitter of all time.
If they invented a Tommy John surgery for knees... Tony would've had 5000 hits.
Btw, the first Padre to wear #19, in the old PCL, was Teddy Ballgame. The last, was Tony. Ted was born in SD (North Park), and Tony passed in SD. God rest them both.
The best hitter
Keith Olbermann is such a tool. But Tony Gwynn was just the best.
keith and billy crystal are the two best honorers.
He used to carry a Sharpie everywhere he went just in case someone wanted an autograph. That's fact.