Thursday, May 13, 1999
Gwynn chips away at 3,000
March to milestone continues here Friday
BY BOB NIGHTENGALE
Gannett News Service
SAN DIEGO — Tony Gwynn, the greatest hitter of this generation, feels like a walking artifact these days as he is about to embark on one of baseball's greatest feats.
He is on the verge of becoming only the 22nd player in major-league history to obtain 3,000 hits.
And everyone wants a piece of history.
Gwynn is nearly trapped in his own locker stall — surrounded by cases of bats, uniforms, batting helmets, batting gloves and caps.
“Every day I have on a new uniform, wearing a new hat, a new jersey, new batting gloves and taking a new bat to the plate,” the eight-time batting champion said. “The whole thing is comical to me.”
The Padres right fielder brings 2,970 career hits to Cinergy Field for a three-game series against the Reds, starting Friday.
Since the day he collected his 2,900th hit, Gwynn has become a quick-change artist.
Every time Gwynn gets a hit, the ball is removed from the game, marked, autographed and preserved. The bat from each hit immedi ately leaves the game. And at the end of every game he collects a hit — which has been all but three games this season — it all goes into safe keeping.
“Just about everything but my jock strap,” he said, laughing.
Padres owner John Moores, who made his request at the beginning of last season, received all of Gwynn's hits from 2,900 to 2,950.
Alicia Gwynn, Tony's wife, receives every ball from hits 2,951 to 2,985 for her merchandising company, A.G. Sport.
Tony will keep everything from 2,986 to 3,000. The Hall of Fame can have anything else.
Gwynn plans to give away a few baseballs to close friends, his children, his alma mater, San Diego State, and his high school. No.3,000 is going straight to his living room.
“I got a ball stand for it eight years ago,” he said, “from Linda Barron, our former secretary here. She said, "Tony, I know 2,000 is not that important to you. Three thousand is. This is for 3,000.' It's sitting in the trophy case in our living room.”
While everything Gwynn achieves until 3,000 has been earmarked for history, it certainly hasn't stopped teammates and opposing players from putting in their orders for souvenirs. They ask him for autographed balls, bats and baseball cards — anything to commemorate his magical march to history.
“I remember when I got a hit in my first at-bat this season,” he said, “and Todd Helton (of the Colorado Rockies) was at first base. Todd said, "I don't want to pester you Mr. Gwynn, but if you have any extra bats laying around, could I bother you for one?'
“We were here for two days, and I forgot to send it over. Then we go to Colorado, and the last game of the series, Todd goes, "Mr. Gwynn, I hate to keep pestering you about this.' I apologized to Todd for forgetting and finally got him one, but it's been tough. I have everything accounted for: my uniforms, hats, bats and everything. I don't have extras lying around to give up.”
Gwynn, who normally uses two to three dozen bats a season and gives away half of them, has gone through more than three dozen bats already.
These 33-30-ounce Louisville Slugger bats are all specially marked with a Padres logo and 3,000-hit inscription. Once he gets a hit, the bat is given for safekeeping to clubhouse attendant Sonny Jaramillo, whom the Padres are having travel on the road this year just to keep track of the memorabilia.
“If nothing else, I'm not superstitious any more,” Gwynn said. “There was a time when I wouldn't even let anybody touch my bats. Now I'm going up there with a bat that I haven't even swung sometimes. This proves to me that it's just not the bat.”
Gwynn's performance has been so phenomenal this season that he plans to play beyond 2000, when his contract expires. He's hitting .365 with three homers and 19 RBI.
“I thought I could relax and people would leave me be during my first 50 hits this year,” he said. “Right from jump street, there's been something every day. "Tony, how do you feel? Tony, what do you think? Tony, can you do this?'
“It's been just as crazy at home. The other day, on our off day, I went to my daughter's eighth-grade basketball game for the first time. I dropped Anisha off early. I sat in the stands waiting for the game to start, and one of the girls on the other team looked into the stands and recognized me.
“She ran into the locker room, and they all came running out, "Look, it's Tony Gwynn.' It became a thing when they said, "I want to show Tony I can shoot some hoop.'
“I watched the whole game, and I'm telling you, my daughter can play. But at the end of the game, I see people digging in their purses, getting their pens out, and I know they're going to bum-rush me. As soon as the game ends, "Mr. Gwynn, I hate to bother you, but can you sign this?' I'm signing everything. The visiting team is ripping pages out of their notebooks.
“I sign everything, jump into the car and drive over to see (16-year-old) Anthony finish his high school baseball game. It's starting to rain. I sit in the car and watch. I honk my horn to let him know I'm here, and pretty soon, one of the kids from the other team turns around, and says, "What's up?' Soon, the whole team is saying, "What's up, Mr. Gwynn, what's up?' And the next thing I know there's a camera crew standing outside my car wanting to interview me.
“It's been pretty funny, but really, it's all been great. People realize the significance of what's going to happen. I mean, 3,000 hits for a contact hitter is the Holy Grail. You look at some of the guys who have done it. You got power hitters. You got contact hitters. You got guys who have done everything. It's a nice mix.
“But, for a contact hitter, this justifies everything I've ever done in my career.”
Gwynn had hoped to reach the magical 3,000 by May 23, when the Padres play the Reds in San Diego. But a hamstring injury cost him a couple starts, and now that's next to impossible: He has only nine games to get 30 hits to do it by May 23. If he doesn't do it by then, he might set the mark on the ensuing 10-game road trip.
“I realize the significance of doing it here,” Gwynn says. “It would be great for us, for the Padres and for the fans. These fans have seen me and been behind me my whole career.
“But, hey ... you can't sit out a week just so you can do it at home. George Brett got his on the road. Paul Molitor was on the road. It wouldn't be so bad. Believe me, getting 3,000 hits, no matter where it is, I'll take it.”
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