Young players “chew” cause they think it’s cool and besides that the PRO’S do it!
Yes they do – but if you think about it, chances are your life will be shortened by several years all for being COOL!!
Shortly I will do a segment on this to teach you what’s it’s like and the problems it can and will cause, but please don’t ask the Tobacco Companies about it – cause you can only guess what you will be told.
Probably the greatest Padres player and Hall of Famer passed away at Pomerado Hospital in Poway, California and was surrounded by his Family.
Gwynn was a young 54 and had been battling salivary gland cancer or oral cancer, which he attributed to Chewing Tobacco a substance many players use.
His .338 career batting average over 20 seasons all of which were with the Padres and is the highest since Ted Williams retired from the Red Sox in 1960 with a .344 average.
Gwynn’s playing career ended in 2001, and since then he had been the head baseball coach for San Diego State University, where he starred in both baseball and basketball as a collegian, and a part-time analyst on Padres telecasts.
Gwynn had been on medical leave from his head coach position at San Diego State since March and had signed a one-year extension on Wednesday.
Gwynn’s battle with cancer began in 2009 when a malignant tumor was removed from his right cheek.
Gwynn claimed that the cancer in the salivary gland was the result of his long-time habit of chewing tobacco.
The cancer returned twice, and in the latter part of ’12, he again began radiation treatment in an attempt to shrink the tumor.
Gwynn underwent another round of surgery in early 2012 when the nerve that the tumor was wrapped around had to be replaced with one from his shoulder and in each case he fought back.
Gwynn played for the 1984 and ’98 pennant-winning Padres and considered his home run at Yankee Stadium in Game 1 of the 1998 World Series to be one of the highlights of his stellar career.
He hit .371 in nine World Series games and .306 in 27 postseason games.
A sad loss to the world of baseball and all due to CHEWING TOBACO. WHAT A LOSS!!!!