Gwynn to Call It Quits

Although not a total surprise, Tony Gwynn is expected to announce today that the 2001 season will be his last, joining Cal Ripken Jr. on the passing parade.

San Diego Padre officials declined comment Wednesday night, but a news conference has been scheduled for Qualcomm Stadium this afternoon, and Gwynn, 41, an eight-time National League batting champion who has been plagued by leg injuries the last two years, has been privately telling reporters for several weeks that he would retire at the end of the year.

Wednesday, he basically made it official, telling USAToday.com: “I knew this would be my last year before the year started. It was predetermined. No matter what I did this year, I knew it would be my last. I’ll have a press conference to get it off my chest, and then I’ll be at peace.”

A .338 career hitter in his 20th season who ranks 16th on the all-time major league list with 3,124 hits, Gwynn has been on the disabled list since May 10 with a strained right hamstring that has limited him to 48 at-bats, over which he has a .333 average. He underwent a sixth surgery on his left knee last season and was limited to a career-low 36 games, batting .323.

The injuries have not dimmed his reputation as one of baseball’s best pure hitters of the last two decades, if not considerably longer.

As former big league manager Sparky Anderson said from his Thousand Oaks home Wednesday night:

“He’s a mortal lock for the Hall of Fame. He can go ahead and make plans. In many ways he’s a lot like Pete Rose. If you needed a base hit to win a game, you’d want them up there more than any other great hitter. They may not get you the double or home run, but if it’s a base hit you wanted, those are the two guys I’d take, and that’s a pretty good compliment.”

A hall of famer himself, Anderson paused, then added: “Not only has Tony been an outstanding baseball player but he’s been an outstanding person along with it. The nice part is that he’s proven there are still people like him.”

Seldom has a superstar player been more popular with the media. Gwynn has always been accessible and accommodating--articulate on any subject.

He and Ripken, the Baltimore Oriole infielder who broke Lou Gehrig’s renowned record for consecutive games and announced his retirement on June 19, are likely to be the last of a breed--players who spent their entire careers with one team during a nomadic era when richer contracts beckoned elsewhere.

Gwynn, who was born in Long Beach and attended San Diego State, often signed for under market value to stay with the Padres. Last winter, with the team concerned about his knee and how much he could contribute, he filed for free agency for the first time and was romanced by the Cleveland Indians as a designated hitter before re-signing with the Padres. He received an incentive-laden contract calling for a $2 million base salary, half-deferred.

In a March interview with The Times at the club’s training base in Arizona, Gwynn reflected on the physical uncertainty and said:

“This is not about coming back and playing every day. It’s not about coming back and being the total player, winning another batting title. Those days are gone because I’m not going to be out there every day.

“I’ve got 3,000 hits and done everything I can do as an offensive guy. It’s just that I still love to play and want to play, that’s what it comes down to. But if it all ends today, I think I could walk around with my head high and feel good about what I’ve done.”

A hit machine, Gwynn’s eight batting titles tie Honus Wagner for the most in National League history. Only Ty Cobb won more with 12.

Until limited by leg problems in the last few years, Gwynn was one of the few players in history to have been able to raise an already high average even higher late in his career. He batted .353 or higher for five consecutive seasons starting in 1993, with a career high .394 in the strike-shortened season of 1994.

Gwynn’s status remains day-to-day because of his hamstring injury, and Manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday Gwynn will only pinch-hit when activated rather than risk aggravating the injury by playing the outfield.

A slumping Rickey Henderson, 42, noted recently that there should be some way he and Gwynn could form a more serviceable partnership.

“Tony will swing the bat and I’ll run,” Henderson said. “It’ll keep both of us in the game.”

The New York Yankees’ Joe Torre, who will manage the American League All-Star team, said recently that he definitely plans to name Ripken to his squad (if not elected by the fans at third base), even though his statistics are not worthy. It is now expected that National League Manager Bobby Valentine of the New York Mets will do the same for Gwynn, who indicated the other day that he might not accept if invited.

“I don’t deserve to go,” he said. “If I want to go I’ll buy a ticket like everybody else.”

With today’s official announcement regarding his retirement, he may feel differently.

The Padres are expected to offer Gwynn the opportunity to stay with the organization in an instructional or broadcasting capacity, but Gwynn said recently he would like to become baseball coach at San Diego State, when that position becomes available in June of next year.

In addition to Ripken and Gwynn in the passing parade, Wally Joyner recently retired and Eric Davis said this will be his last season.

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RECORD BOOK

Tony Gwynn’s records:

* Holds NL record for most years leading league in singles (7)

* Shares NL record for most consecutive seasons batting .300 or better (17)

* Shares NL record for most seasons leading league in hits (7)

* Shares NL record for most five-or-more hit games in one season (4 in 1993)

* Shares NL record for most seasons leading league in hitting (8)

* Holds NL record for lowest average for batting-title winner (.313 in 1988)