One of my heroes

I do post a lot on this blog about soccer, but I have to confess that my first love in sports was baseball. I played all the way until college, against teams from as close as San Bernardino and as far as Australia. I learned to love the game that is widely proclaimed as our national pastime. However, after the 1994 Major League player strike I lost a lot of my desire to watch the game. Add to that the recent conflicts over steroids and I honestly barely watch baseball any more (except when my Mets knock the Dodgers out of the playoffs).

Yesterday, one of my heroes in baseball was inducted into the Hall of Fame. I have always respected Tony Gwynn as a baseball player. He embodies everything that I think a baseball player should be- he had fun, he always made time for the fans, he worked endlessly to improve his game, and he never sacrificed his dignity. Statistically, he ended his career with a stunning .338 average and 3141 hits. I think his most impressive stat is his batting average stayed nearly the same with two strikes. When he was inducted, there was no question as to what team he would be connected to - he was a Padre his entire career. This simply does not happen anymore.

Living in San Diego for just over 4 years, I was able to see Tony Gwynn play on many occasions. It never escaped me that I was watching one of the greatest hitters ever to swing a bat. And although I don't care much for him otherwise, Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times did a nice story on him yesterday.

I want to end with a quote from his induction speech yesterday. I think it sums up what Tony Gwynn was as a player and remains to be as an ambassador for baseball.

"I think people, we make a big deal about work ethic. We make a big deal about trying to make good decision and doing things right, and you know what, we are supposed to. That is what they pay us for. When you sign your name, I'm a big believer when you sign your name on a dotted line, there's more than just playing the game of baseball. I think if you look out here today, you see all these people out here today, they love the game too and there's a responsibility when you put that uniform on that those people, the people who pay to go watch you play, you're responsible, you've got to make good decisions and show people how things are supposed to be done."

As we wait for Barry Bonds to break Hank Aaron's home run record by cheating, its nice to remember that there were - and are - very classy hard-working players in this game.