MLB accounts on Twitter often celebrate some of the biggest stars’ birthdays.
It’s a nice way to remember the very best players the sport has produced, whether they are active, retired, and even those who are no longer with us.
This time, MLB Vault celebrated Tony Gwynn‘s would-be 62nd birthday.
Mr. Padre, who died in 2014, is still in our hearts and is still celebrated as one of the greatest contact hitters of all time.
“The great Tony Gwynn would’ve turned 62 today,” MLB Vault wrote, with a video.
The great Tony Gwynn would’ve turned 62 today. 💛 pic.twitter.com/xQPP6ok65J
— MLB Vault (@MLBVault) May 9, 2022
In the video, we see some highlights from Gwynn’s storied career, including his 3,000th hit.
Anthony Keith Gwynn Sr. played at the highest level for 20 seasons, from 1982 until his retirement in 2001, and is universally recognized as one of the greatest batters in baseball.
Mr. Padre Was A Batting Master
Watching him hit a baseball was a thing of beauty: his career average was an incredible .338 and he was never below .309 in a season.
He won eight batting titles and went to the All-Star Game 15 times.
He played with a single uniform for his entire MLB tenure: the San Diego Padres.
He took them to the 1984 and 1998 World Series, they lost both to the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees, respectively.
In any case, he is loved and remembered not only by Padres fans, but also by other teams’ supporters.
He also won seven Silver Slugger awards and five Gold Glove awards, for his contributions on defense.
Power wasn’t really his game, but his long MLB career enabled him to hit 135 home runs.
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2007, in his first year of eligibility.
Cancer took Gwynn away from us way too young, in 2014, but he lives forever in our hearts.
Happy birthday to him.
