Honoring Tony Gwynn at the office on June 19, 2014.
Many of us post-grad bloggers constantly preach one lesson: Do what you love. It’s an important reminder in the millennial era in which the expectations are so high but the number of opportunities seemingly fewer and fewer. In a chapter of your life (hopefully after the ‘best 4 years’) where stress levels can reach a mile high no matter where you are and how much money you’re making, it’s important to keep a level head and to keep things in perspective.
Tony Gwynn (1960-2014), a San Diego Padres icon and baseball Hall of Fame member, left a lasting impact on the city of San Diego and the entire baseball world. It’s too hard not to mention his career performance on the baseball field; .338 lifetime batting average, 19 straight seasons of a .300+ average, 3,100 total hits, 5 Gold Gloves, the greatest hitter since Ted Williams. Those numbers are staggering beyond belief. But more staggering than those numbers, and I know this sounds so cliche, was Tony’s demeanor and character off the field. And here are a few lessons we can all take from Tony’s legacy:
1. Humility - The numbers I mentioned give merely a sneak peek into the long list of jaw-dropping achievements in Tony Gwynn’s career on the baseball diamond. You would have never guessed he was one of the GOAT by watching the way he conducted himself on the field, with the media, and with the fans. Instead, Tony’s face would light up when he met other baseball greats for the first time, almost like a little kid in a candy store. He never sought the spotlight, the spotlight sought him, even if his small-market Padres were harder to find. As a post-grad, it doesn’t matter if you’ve already landed that dream job, are making $$$, or are enjoying funemployment. Be proud of what you have accomplished, but be humble. Don’t just let your actions speak for themselves, let your character speak for itself as well.
2. Loyalty, don’t just chase the money - Especially in the sports world in this day n’ age, we’re seeing more athletes chase the green paper trail, turning down millions of dollars for um, more millions of dollars. Same goes for life as well. And hey, it’s the real world, money is needed to survive. But money doesn’t have to be the sole driving force of career decisions. Tony Gwynn, despite his mind-boggling numbers that would eventually land him in the Hall of Fame, never left the Padres. Never left San Diego. Never left his home. Countless opportunities arose for him to make much more money on other teams like the New York Yankees and other championship-contending teams. Tony decided to stay in San Diego, though, for 20 straight years. 20! Unfathomable to say the least. In that sense, Tony was no longer a record-setting ballplayer, he was just another member of the San Diego community.
3. Laughter cures all - Tony Gwynn was arguably most known for his infectious, high-pitched laugh. He laughed often, and when he did, the faces of those around him lit up. If you’ve been a follower of America’s Finest Tiger from the get-go, you’ve probably noticed my numerous references to the importance of laughter in post-grad life. I really do believe laughter is the best medicine; if you’re having a good time, then you’re probably already laughing…if you’re not, then you need to laugh. Watching and hearing Tony’s laugh never fails to bring smiles to everyone’s faces and reminds us that when times are rough, you don’t need a drink, you need a good laugh.
With that, thank you Tony for embodying the qualities that I try to embody each and every day, and thank you for your contributions to San Diego, baseball, and the world. Mr. Padre, Mr. San Diego, Mr. America’s Finest City.
Cheers,
Michael
