Anthony Keith Gwynn Jr. (born October 4, 1982) is an American former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...

. Gwynn played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

(MLB) for the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. The Brewers are named for the city's association wi ...

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brookly ...

, and the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citize ...

. The son of

Baseball Hall of Famer The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

Tony Gwynn Anthony Keith Gwynn Sr. (May 9, 1960 – June 16, 2014), nicknamed "Mr. Padre", was an American professional baseball right fielder, who played 20 seasons (1982–2001) in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres. The left-handed h ...

, he works as a

broadcaster Broadcaster may refer to: * A presenter of any syndicated media program * A broadcasting organization, one responsible for audio and video content and/or their transmission * A sports commentator on television or radio * Broadcaster, currently kn ...

for the Padres’ radio and television network.

Amateur career

Gwynn graduated from

Poway High School Poway High School is a four-year secondary school in southern California accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Established in 1961, its approximately 2,408 students are from the city of Poway and the community of Rancho ...

in California. He was drafted out of high school by the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in B ...

in the 33rd round of the

2000 MLB draft First round selections Compensation picks Background The Florida Marlins made Adrián González of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, California the first overall selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft. González, who was rated as ...

but did not sign. He played college baseball at his father's alma mater,

San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) syste ...

. In 2002, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operate ...

with the

Brewster Whitecaps The Brewster Whitecaps are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Brewster, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Whitecaps play their home games at Stony Brook ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thous ...

and was named a league all-star. He was a

Mountain West Conference The Mountain West Conference (MW) is one of the collegiate athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) (formerly I-A). The MW officially began operations ...

All-Star with his junior year in 2003, when he hit .359 and stole 25 bases.

Professional career

Milwaukee Brewers

Gwynn was drafted by the

in the 2nd round of the 2003 MLB draft. After a couple of years in the minor leagues, he made his major league debut on July 15, , as a pinch hitter against the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. ...

. His first major league

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from ''Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

on July 19 (against

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...

closer

Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition, extraordinary musical aptitude, and m ...

) came exactly 24 years to the day of his father's first major league hit — both doubles. Towards the end of the 2006 campaign, Gwynn received more playing time, replacing

Brady Clark Brady William Clark (born April 18, 1973) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. Brady is a class of 1991 graduate of Sunset High School in Beaverton, Oregon and 1996 graduate of the University of San Diego, where he played college ba ...

in the lineup. He appeared in 32 games for the Brewers in 2006, hitting .260 and made the Brewers' opening day roster for . Late in the 2007 season, the

were in Milwaukee attempting to clinch a playoff berth. Closer

Trevor Hoffman Trevor William Hoffman (born October 13, 1967) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher who played 18 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1993 to 2010. A long-time closer, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego P ...

was one out away from sending the Padres to the playoffs, but the tying run was on second base. Gwynn

pinch-hit In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, American ...

for Bill Hall against his dad's former team, and dramatically tied the game with a

triple Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a "treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * In ...

. The Padres would go on to lose the game as well as the season finale on the next day, opening the door for the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fi ...

to force a one-game playoff with San Diego. The Rockies defeated the Padres in a wild contest, keeping them out of the postseason. With a focus on defense, Brewers manager

Ned Yost Edgar Frederick Yost III (; born August 19, 1954) is a former Major League Baseball catcher and manager of the Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals. He played for the Brewers, Texas Rangers, and Montreal Expos. Early life Yost was born on ...

indicated in March that Gwynn and

Gabe Kapler Gabriel Stefan Kapler (born July 31, 1975), nicknamed "Kap", is an American former professional baseball outfielder, and current manager of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). Kapler was a 57th-round draft pick (1,487th ove ...

might have a leg up on

Gabe Gross Gabriel Jordan Gross (born October 21, 1979) is a former American professional baseball outfielder who is currently the hitting coach for the Auburn Tigers. His father, Lee Gross, was center for the Auburn Tigers and in the NFL. His brother, B ...

for an outfield position; this became true when Gross was traded to the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...

on April 22, 2008. Gwynn was optioned to the

Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry, ...

of the Triple-A

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Bas ...

on May 25, 2008, but recalled after rosters expanded on September 1. In 3 years with the Brewers, Gwynn hit .248 in 130 games.

San Diego Padres

On May 21, 2009, Gwynn was traded to the

for outfielder

Jody Gerut Joseph Diego Gerut (born September 18, 1977) is a former Major League Baseball center fielder who played for several teams between 2003 and 2010. Amateur career A native of Elmhurst, Illinois, Gerut attended Willowbrook High School, and later ...

. Gwynn was informed of the trade by a phone call from his father, who played his entire career with the Padres. In his first game with the Padres, the same day he was traded, Gwynn pinch-hit in the 9th inning. He drew a walk and then scored the winning run. In two seasons (236 games and 682 at bats) with the

, Gwynn Jr. accumulated 165 hits, 20 doubles, 9 triples, 5 home runs (2 of which were inside the park), and 41 RBI, with a .242 batting average. Gwynn wore the number 18 with the Padres, with his father's number 19 having been retired.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Gwynn agreed to a one-year deal with the

on December 8, 2010. He played in 136 games with the Dodgers in 2011, the highest total of his career, and hit .256 with 22 stolen bases. On June 1, 2012, Gwynn was part of a Dodgers lineup featuring the sons of five former Major Leaguers (along with

Jerry Hairston Jr. Jerry Wayne Hairston Jr. (born May 29, 1976) is an American former professional baseball infielder and outfielder. He played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Cincinnati Reds, New Yo ...

, Iván DeJesús Jr.,

Dee Gordon Devaris "Dee" Strange-Gordon (born April 22, 1988) is an American professional baseball second baseman, shortstop, and center fielder who is currently a free agent. He has played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Mar ...

and Scott Van Slyke), being the first time in Major League Baseball history that this had occurred. In 103 games in 2012, he hit .232 with 13 stolen bases. He was designated for assignment on August 6, and accepted an assignment to AAA

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding i ...

, where he hit .338 in 19 games. Gwynn spent the entire 2013 season with Albuquerque, where he hit .300 in 104 games.

Philadelphia Phillies

In December 2013, Gwynn signed a minor league contract with the

containing an invitation to Major League spring training. At the end of spring training, it was announced that Gwynn had made the opening day roster to start the 2014 season, which culminated a "long road" back to the major leagues. He was the Phillies' opening day starter in left field (

Domonic Brown Domonic Larun Brown (born September 3, 1987), is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Philadelphia Phillies in , after being named the Phillies' top prospect in and the top ...

, the projected starter in left field, started at

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...

as the Phillies opened the season on the road against the Texas Rangers), and batted in the ninth position. Later, when

Ben Revere Ben Daniel Revere (born May 3, 1988) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals, and Los Angeles Angels. ...

had sore ribs, Gwynn started and batted in the

leadoff In baseball, a lead or lead off is the short distance that a player stands away from their current base. On the bases In baseball, to lead off, or to take a lead, refers to the position a baserunner takes just prior to a pitch, a short distan ...

position, and because of his performance, started several games after Revere had recovered. Following the death of his father, Gwynn Jr. was placed on the bereavement list on June 16, 2014. He was designated for assignment on July 21, 2014, and released on July 28. He later signed a minor league contract with the Phillies on August 3 with an assignment to their Triple-A affiliate, the

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and are named in reference to pig iron, used in th ...

. He was called back up by the Phillies on September 2, 2014. On October 10, 2014, he refused assignment to Triple-A and was released.

Washington Nationals

On March 2, 2015, Gwynn signed a minor league contract with the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadi ...

. He elected free agency on November 6, 2015.

Post-playing career

On February 25, 2016, it was announced that Gwynn would be joining the

broadcast team as co-host of the post-game Dodger Talk show on

KLAC KLAC (570 AM) is a commercial sports radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, serving Greater Los Angeles and much of surrounding Southern California. Owned by a joint venture between iHeartMedia, Inc. and the Los Angeles Dodg ...

radio. After one season, Gwynn joined the San Diego Padres as an analyst, working both radio and TV broadcasts for 97.3 FM and

Bally Sports San Diego Bally Sports San Diego is an American regional sports network owned as a joint venture between Diamond Sports Group (itself a 50-50 joint venture between the Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios) (which owns a controlling 80% s ...

, respectively.

Personal life

Gwynn is the son of baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn Sr., who died of salivary gland cancer on June 16, 2014, and Alicia Gwynn. He is also the nephew of

Chris Gwynn Christopher Karlton Gwynn (born October 13, 1964) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is the younger brother of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn and the uncle of former Major League Baseball outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. Career The California ...

, and brother of musician

Anisha Nicole Anisha Nicole Gwynn, (born August 8, 1985) better known by the stage names Anisha Nicole and Nee-Nee Gwynn, is an R&B, hip hop, and pop singer. Gwynn's single "No Means No", as Nee-Nee Gwynn featuring Baby Diva, entered the Billboard charts o ...

. Gwynn and his wife Alyse Mallek have four children; three daughters Makayla, Jordan and Leighton and a son, Anthony Keith III.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gwynn, Tony Jr. 1982 births Living people Major League Baseball center fielders Baseball players from Long Beach, California African-American baseball players Milwaukee Brewers players San Diego Padres players Los Angeles Dodgers players Philadelphia Phillies players San Diego State Aztecs baseball players Beloit Snappers players Scottsdale Scorpions players Huntsville Stars players Nashville Sounds players Navegantes del Magallanes players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Albuquerque Isotopes players Arizona League Dodgers players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Sportspeople from Long Beach, California Syracuse Chiefs players Major League Baseball broadcasters San Diego Padres announcers Brewster Whitecaps players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people