Tony Gwynn doesn't regret playing for Padres his entire career, saw appeal of playing for team with no history

Here's an article where Tony Gwynn talks about the Pujols signing from the perspective of a One-team Hall of Famer.

"I would have loved to have seen him wear a Cardinals uniform his entire career, but this is the decision he made and you have to respect that, and I do," Gwynn said by phone from San Diego. "For me, now it means everything to have spent my career in one city. You would like to see guys stay with one club, but the money has gotten so huge.

More interestingly Gwynn continues and talks about the benefits of playing for a team with no history.

"And the other thing was, we had no history in San Diego. It wasn't like playing with the Yankees or playing with the Cardinals or playing with the Dodgers, a team steeped in history. We didn't really have that much. And that was intriguing -- being that guy. When you think of the Padres, I guess I'm the guy you think of. That was intriguing, too. I'm not going to lie.

"That was an important factor. You were going to hold all the records, you were probably going to be mentioned in the media guides in the history of your ballclub. So for me, being comfortable and being happy was worth it. Do I regret anything about it? No. This is where I wanted to be, and [I] decided to stay here and finish it out."

See that's something the Padres should try and sell to free agents. We may not be able to offer you the money that major market clubs will, but you can be a legend here. Then point to Steve Garvey as a prime example. You could even put a clause into their contract that if they reach certain milestones or complete a feat (first no hitter or hit for the cycle) we'll guarantee a number retirement ceremony or at least a bobble head. It's all about finding our competitive advantage.