Happy 60th Birthday to Mr. Padre, Tony Gwynn

On what would have been his 60th birthday, I want to wish Mr. Tony Gwynn, Mr. Padre, a very happy birthday.

In a time without sports, I think its’ exponentially more important to reflect on the past and appreciate what fans have had over the years. The good and the bad, but mostly the great. When sports finally come back to this country, I don’t ever want to take them for granted again.

We all know what Gwynn was, and did, for this franchise. After he made his debut on July 19 of 1982, he would not only go on to be the greatest player in franchise history, but one of the best players to ever grace the field. A quick reminder of his many achievements include:

• 15x All Star
• 8x NL Batting Champion
• 5x Golden Glove Winner
• 7x Silver Slugger Winner
• No. 19 retired by the Padres
• San Diego Padres Hall of Fame

In his post-playing career, Gwynn spent time as the head baseball coach at San Diego State University, which was also his alma-mater. Apart from that, he also spent time as an analyst for Yahoo Sports and as a broadcaster for ESPN.

On June 16, 2014, Gwynn passed away from salivary gland cancer at the age of 54. His funeral service was attended by over 23,000 fans.

So in a day and age where there isn’t much left to do but reflect on the past, let us do just that. Use this post to discuss in the comments all the magnificent memories given to us by Gwynn throughout his time on this earth.

Have a happy Saturday, everyone.