Tony Gwynn Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tony Gwynn Jr. |
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Gwynn with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2011
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: October 4, 1982 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| July 15, 2006, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 28, 2014, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .238 | ||
| Home runs | 7 | ||
| Runs batted in | 98 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Tony Gwynn Jr. was born on October 4, 1982. He is an American former professional baseball player. Tony Jr. played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for teams like the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies. His father, Tony Gwynn, was a famous Baseball Hall of Famer. Today, Tony Jr. works as a broadcaster for the Padres' radio network. He also hosts a sports talk show.
Contents
Playing Baseball: Early Years
High School and College Baseball
Tony Gwynn Jr. went to Poway High School in California. After high school, the Atlanta Braves picked him in the 2000 MLB draft. However, he decided not to sign with them. Instead, he chose to play college baseball. He went to San Diego State University, just like his dad.
In 2002, he played summer baseball for the Brewster Whitecaps. He was even named an all-star in that league. The next year, in 2003, he was a Mountain West Conference All-Star. He hit for a .359 average and stole 25 bases.
Professional Baseball Career
Milwaukee Brewers Team
The Milwaukee Brewers drafted Tony Gwynn Jr. in 2003. After playing in the minor leagues for a few years, he made his big league debut. This happened on July 15, 2006. He played as a pinch hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
His first major league hit was a double. It happened on July 19, 2006. This was special because it was exactly 24 years after his father's first major league hit. His dad's first hit was also a double!
Later in 2006, Tony Jr. started playing more often for the Brewers. He played in 32 games that year and hit .260. He was on the Brewers' team for the start of the 2007 season.
In 2007, the San Diego Padres were trying to make it to the playoffs. Tony Jr. was playing against his dad's old team. He hit a triple that tied the game. The Padres ended up losing that game and missed the playoffs.
Tony Jr. played for the Brewers for three years. He played in 130 games and had a .248 batting average.
San Diego Padres Team
On May 21, 2009, Tony Gwynn Jr. was traded to the San Diego Padres. His father, who played his whole career with the Padres, called him to tell him the news. In his very first game with the Padres, Tony Jr. was a pinch hitter. He got a walk and then scored the winning run!
He played for the Padres for two seasons. In 236 games, he had 165 hits. He also had 20 doubles, 9 triples, and 5 Home runs. Two of his home runs were "inside the park" home runs. He had 41 RBI and a .242 batting average. Tony Jr. wore number 18 for the Padres. His father's number, 19, had already been retired.
Los Angeles Dodgers Team
Tony Gwynn Jr. signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 8, 2010. In 2011, he played in 136 games for the Dodgers. This was the most games he played in a single season during his career. He hit .256 and stole 22 bases.
On June 1, 2012, something cool happened. Tony Jr. was part of a Dodgers lineup that included five sons of former Major League players. This was the first time this had ever happened in MLB history! In 2012, he played in 103 games, hitting .232 with 13 stolen bases. He spent all of 2013 playing for the Dodgers' Triple-A team, the Albuquerque Isotopes. He hit .300 in 104 games there.
Philadelphia Phillies Team
On December 24, 2013, Tony Gwynn Jr. signed a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He made the team's Opening Day roster for the 2014 season. This was a big moment for him, getting back to the major leagues. He started the season as the Phillies' left fielder.
His father passed away on June 16, 2014. Tony Jr. was placed on a special list to be with his family. He was later released by the Phillies. However, he re-signed with them on a minor league contract in August. He was called back up to the Phillies in September 2014. After the season, he chose to become a free agent.
Washington Nationals Team
On March 2, 2015, Tony Gwynn Jr. signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals. He played in 89 games for their Triple-A team, the Syracuse Chiefs. He hit .255 with one home run and 27 RBI. After the season, he became a free agent again.
Life After Playing Baseball
After his playing career, Tony Gwynn Jr. became a broadcaster. On February 25, 2016, he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers broadcast team. He co-hosted a post-game show called "Dodger Talk."
After one season, he joined the San Diego Padres as an analyst. He worked on both radio and TV broadcasts. In April 2018, he started hosting a sports talk show called Gwynn & Chris. This show became very popular in San Diego. Since 2022, he has been a full-time color commentator for Padres radio broadcasts.
Family Life
Tony Gwynn Jr. is the son of the famous baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn Sr. His mother is Alicia Gwynn. His uncle, Chris Gwynn, also played professional baseball. Tony Jr. has a sister named Anisha Nicole, who is a musician.
Tony Gwynn Jr. is married to Alyse Mallek. They have four children together. They have three daughters named Makayla, Jordan, and Leighton. They also have a son named Anthony Keith III.
See also
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
