Tony Gwynn passed 3 years ago

In some ways it seems like yesterday and in others a lifetime ago. Padres legend Tony Gwynn succumbed to cancer on this day three years ago. While Gwynn was always a source of joy in my life, his death has veiled my memories of him in sadness. I wish I could remember him now as I did without thinking of his early passing and the hole that he left in so many of our lives.

Three years ago I remember waking up in the morning and reading the news that Gwynn’s condition had worsened. I wrote a short blog post to pass along the news and then headed to a doctors appointment. I had been stung by a stingray a week earlier and didn’t bother going to the hospital so I was dealing with a swollen and infected foot. It was when I was in the waiting room that the news of Gwynn’s death broke. I started receiving numerous messages as I was called into the doctors office. I couldn’t respond, I couldn’t react. It wasn’t until my appointment was over that I had the full story.

After his death Gwynn’s legend only grew, but I find it helpful to go back and watch old video from his life and days as a Padre. He wasn’t perfect but it’s nice to remember that he was real and his feats accomplished were real and not the myth that surrounds legends.