After Tony Gwynn’s passing in 2014, Channel 4 San Diego re-aired the five One on One editions (from 1997-2007) back-to-back several times to allow fans to hear his story, hear his voice, hear his laugh and honor his life during their grief.
What a gift we had in longtime Padre. What an opportunity we had to share his story and legacy with others. The positive response echoed what I had long believed — that viewers (die-hard and casual sports fans alike) appreciate hearing the journeys of those past and present athletes who have been part of San Diego’s, and the nation’s, sports and community landscape. With that, the vision to re-visit the archives was realized. In 2015, I was asked to return to Channel 4 to create the One on One LEGENDS series.
Of course Tony Gwynn was on the list of 12. We had the most recent one-hour version from our trip to Cooperstown with him in 2007 and the 2014 memorial service thousands attended and even more watched live on Fox Sports San Diego. Between that and learning of his final efforts to curb smokeless tobacco use, other honors at SDSU, and the new Tony Gwynn Baseball Classic, we had a rich amount of elements to remember his vibrant life, re-experience the poignancy of the tributes, and share how his legacy continues in new ways, too. (My thanks to: SDSU and Jason Bott for providing video, to the Padres and Fox Sports San Diego for the memorial service, and to the folks at the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society who confirmed one of Gwynn’s last contributions with information here http://pbats.com/gwynn-contributed-to-anti-tobacco-film-in-months-before-death/
Watching the memorial service recording for the first time brought tears to my eyes; how do you sum up a life in a few hours? Everyone who participated, and those who watched and listened, enveloped who the Hall of Famer was. Some stories sounded familiar. Some were new. But as I watched and selected what to include, I wanted to make sure we touched on the many facets that made Tony Gwynn loved, respected and admired. Each will hold his or her own memories of the 15-time All-Star, but when someone watches this for the first time — whether they knew of him of not — I hope this hour informs and inspires. For those who knew him, or felt like they did because of who he was, I hope this allows you to celebrate and remember Tony Gwynn the man, the legend.
If ever there were one person who epitomized my motto, “Perpetuate the Positive. Be part of the Good Sports Story,” Tony Gwynn was it. I’m grateful the powers that be at Cox/Channel 4 San Diego saw the value in sharing the archives and allowing me to tell his story “full circle” as a remarkable person, a Legend, indeed.