Hall Of Famer Tony Gwynn Dies At 54

(San Diego, CA) -- Major League Baseball is mourning the loss of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. The former San Diego Padres outfielder passed away Monday at age 54. Gwynn had been battling salivary gland cancer, the result of his longtime use of chewing tobacco.  He had surgery to remove a malignant tumor in 2009 and again in 2012. Gwynn was a career .338 hitter in 20 seasons, all with the Padres. He was a 15-time All-Star and an eight-time National League batting champion who had 3,141 career hits. Gwynn was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007. He coached baseball at San Diego State, his alma mater, since 2003.

Gwynn was remembered throughout baseball on Monday night during games. A few stadiums etched "TG" into the field while in Seattle where the Padres played, the Mariners grounds crew carved Gwynn's number "19" into the dirt in the "5.5-hole" where Mr. Padre loved slapping base hits. The Padres also hung a jersey with Gwynn's name and number in the dugout during the game. Teams held a moment of silence before their games to remember the Hall of Famer while back in San Diego, fans gathered around the Tony Gwynn statue at Petco Park to share memories and lay flowers in celebration of his life.