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Uniform Assessment, 6/17 - MLB honors Tony Gwynn, Orioles to wear throwbacks

Major League Baseball reacts to death of Tony Gwynn, and Orioles to turn back the clock to 1954, 1989, among others.

By Andrew Lind
Chris McGrath

A Hall of Fame outfielder, best known for base hits between shortstop and third base, Tony Gwynn passed away at the age of 54 on Monday, battling salivary gland cancer for the past decade. Spending his entire career with the San Diego Padres, Gwynn was a career .338 hitter, racking up 3,141 hits throughout his 20-year professional career.

Immediately following the news of Gwynn's death, players and fans, alike, took to social media to share their condolences and fondest memory of the 15-time All-Star. With eleven games on the schedule Monday night, many teams were able to pay tribute to the greatest Padre of all-time.

Teams such as the Dodgers, Indians, Mariners, Rays, and Red Sox, among others, held a moment of silence and played a video tribute before their games in honor of Gwynn.

Others, like the Phillies, displayed Gwynn's uniform in the dugout.

However, the best celebration's of Gwynn were in Detroit and Seattle, where the Padres had just begun their four-game series with the Mariners. Painted in between the shortstop and third base was "TG 5.5" and "19", signifying Gwynn's patented 5.5 hole.

The Padres, who are expected to honor their former player with a patch on their uniforms, placed a black band on their right sleeves for Monday night's game. With heavy hearts, the team dropped the series opener, 5-1.

The head baseball coach at his alma mater, San Diego State, since 2002, Gwynn had just recently received a contract extension from the Aztecs, despite being placed on medical leave in March while recovering from radiation and other cancer treatments. The school honored Gwynn by placing his number in the outfield at the stadium that shares his namesake.

The San Antonio Missions, Double A affiliate of the Padres, also honored Gwynn, placing the Padres logo and his number behind home plate before their divisional matchup with Corpus Christi.

The Baltimore Orioles will wear throwback uniforms five times this season, but only once in Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The team wore Negro League throwbacks earlier in the year, paying tribute to the Baltimore Black Sox in Kansas City on May 18th, before honoring the Baltimore Elite Giants later that month in Houston. The team will also wear throwback uniforms on July 19th in Oakland and again on August 24th in Chicago. Although they'll be wearing the same uniform for both games, the matchup in Oakland is part of the Athletics 1989 World Series reunion, while the contest with the Cubs will honor the 1994 squads. The Orioles will also pay tribute to the franchise's first season with 1954 replicas on June 29th, coinciding with the 60th celebration of the O's move to Baltimore.

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