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By JOHN ROMANO
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 1, 2001
Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres is not the same hitter he was 20 years ago -- he is better. Although the future Hall of Famer announced this week that he would retire after this season, his farewell has nothing to do with lack of abilities. Unlike Cal Ripken, who announced his impending retirement a week earlier, Gwynn is capable of putting up strong numbers when he is in the lineup.
And therein lies the rub. Knee and hamstring injuries have severely limited his playing time the past two seasons. But even the betrayal of his legs could not alter the beauty of his swing. For the 19th season in a row, Gwynn's batting average is above .300. The last time -- the only time -- he finished a season hitting under .300, Carl Yastrzemski, Willie Stargell and Luis Tiant were active. Gwynn, one of the first players to make extensive use of videotape, has compensated for declining physical skills with superior hitting knowledge. Taking his career in five-year increments, his slugging percentage has steadily grown, and his batting average had a similar incline through his first 15 years. Gwynn's career in five-year spans:
(Years, AB, H, HR, SLG, AVG)
1982-86,2,364,770,27,.427,.326
1987-91,2,817,929,26,.440,.330
1992-96,2,414,861,37,.478,.357
1997-01,1,639,564,44,.505,.344