Gwynn Will Stay in San Diego

By JERRY CROWE

Dec. 8, 2000 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

The San Diego Padres and Tony Gwynn gave in to sentiment, but the Chicago Cubs did not.

As a result, Gwynn will be back in San Diego next year for his 20th season with the Padres, while Mark Grace’s 13-year tenure with the Cubs has ended.

Gwynn, an eight-time National League batting champion, agreed to a one-year, $2-million contract Thursday that gives him the chance to earn $3.7 million more in performance bonuses.

Grace, meanwhile, is expected to reach a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, possibly as early as today, after the Cubs declined to offer the free-agent first baseman arbitration before Thursday’s midnight EST deadline.

“It’s a sad day for him,” said Barry Axelrod, Grace’s agent. “But life goes on. Teams do things because that’s the businesslike thing to do. I don’t begrudge them, but it’s sad.”

In San Diego, the mood was a lot more upbeat.

“I wanted an opportunity to play my whole career here,” said Gwynn, adding that the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals had offered more money. “When you think about all the options that you have, that was foremost in my mind. I’m glad that it worked out.

“Ultimately, the thing that kept me here was the fact that I’m happy here. I really like it here. I’m really comfortable here.”

Gwynn, 40, is widely regarded as a civic treasure in San Diego for his baseball skills, a sunny, generous personality and his involvement in charitable causes.

Mayor Susan Golding, in one of her last interviews before leaving office Monday, urged Padre ownership to reward Gwynn’s loyalty.

“Tony could have become a free agent and left San Diego a long time ago,” she said. “I know baseball is a business but I think loyalty like Tony’s is exceedingly rare and should be rewarded.”

Gwynn played a major role in winning voter approval in 1998 for a $410-million downtown ballpark to be financed largely through city bonds. Gwynn and Hall of Famer Ted Williams served as honorary co-chairmen of the drive.

But Gwynn is coming off the sixth surgery on his left knee, and it had become increasingly uncertain in the last several months whether he was still wanted. His troublesome left knee led the Padres to believe he wasn’t an everyday player anymore.

Gwynn thought otherwise, and the outfielder filed for free agency when the Padres declined his $6-million option for 2001, opting for a $2-million buyout.

In the end, though, Gwynn avoided the unthinkable and the Padres were spared a public-relations disaster.

“It would be a nightmare to wake up in the morning with the headline saying, ‘Gwynn Gone,’ ” General Manager Kevin Towers said.

Grace, 36, had spent his entire career with the Cubs.

“Mark reacts like Mark reacts in life. He is an upbeat, optimistic, go-for-it person,” Axelrod said. “He basically said, ‘Good, that’s over, now we can get on with it.’ ”

Times staff writer Tony Perry and Associated Press contributed to this report.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Staying and Going

By remaining with the Padres, Tony Gwynn, above left, will be the 17th player in major league history to play at least 20 seasons and spend his career with one team. Mark Grace, above right, is expected to leave the Chicago Cubs for Arizona:

23 Seasons

Brooks Robinson, Baltimore (1955-77)

Carl Yastrzemski, Boston (1961-83)

22 Seasons

Cap Anson, Chicago (NL) (1876-97)

Al Kaline, Detroit (1953-74)

Stan Musial, St. Louis (1941-44, 1946-63)

Mel Ott, New York Giants (1926-47)

21 Seasons

George Brett, Kansas City (1973-93)

Walter Johnson, Washington (1907-27)

Ted Lyons, Chicago (AL) (1923-42, 1946)