The San Diego Padres have confirmed on Twitter that Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn has died.
"We are terribly sad to say goodbye to our teammate, our friend and a legend, Tony Gwynn. Rest in peace, Mr. Padre," Read the tweet.
The former outfielder died Monday at age 54 at Pomerado Hospital in Poway, California, according to a release from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Gwynn had cancer, the release said.
Gwynn was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, amassing a total of 3,141 hits in 20 seasons with the San Diego Padres from 1982-2001, according to the Hall of Fame. He won eight National League batting championships. Ref. CNN
Image from Wikimedia public domain.
Tony Gwynn (Hover)
Gwynn family sues chewing tobacco maker
The family of Tony Gwynn sued a tobacco company yesterday, charging it was responsible for his death from cancer because it got him hooked on chewing tobacco when he was a teen, then used him to promote a product they knew caused cancer. Ref. Source 5i.
Family of baseball great Tony Gwynn settles lawsuit against tobacco industry giant. A major tobacco company agreed Thursday to settle a negligence and product liability lawsuit filed by the family of San Diego Padre great Tony Gwynn, who died of cancer at 54, decades after the company allegedly hooked him on — and then used him to promote — products it knew caused the disease that killed Gwynn, according to Gwynn’s family. Source 7v.