Tony Gwynn honored with memorial at Petco Park

An estimated crowd of close to 25,000 fans gathered at Petco Park Thursday evening to honor San Diego Padres great Tony Gwynn.

The ceremony Thursday night featured MLB dignitaries, former teammates, friends and family.

“There was never a time that I thought we’d have this particular ceremony here today,” said Padres radio broadcaster Ted Leitner, who hosted the memorial.

The Padres have posted a 90-minute video of the tribute.

Thousands of fans streamed through the gates before the 7:19 p.m. start as if ready for a championship game. Hot dogs and popcorn were sold, but no beer. Soulful music mixed with echoes of Gwynn’s laugh brought tears and more laughter to those who gathered a final time to chant “Tony, Tony, Tony.”

Gwynn was the head baseball coach at San Diego State at the time of his death following a long battle with cancer. The eight-time National League batting champion and right-fielder blamed his salivary gland cancer on his career-long habit of chewing tobacco.

Since his death, several major league players have sworn off smokeless tobacco products, including former Aztecs Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals and Addison Reed of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Former teammates and opponents, Major League Baseball officials and San Diego civic leaders have praised Gwynn’s talent and character, while hundreds of fans have left flowers, balloons, pictures, notes and memorabilia at the base of a statue of the prolific hitter in Petco Park.

Agencies/Canadajournal