When center fielder Tony Gwynn Jr. learned in mid-July that he had been called up to the big leagues for the first time, he called his dad, the icon of Padres fans, future Hall of Famer and eight-time National League batting champ.
Dad didn’t believe him. The two had discussed a possible call-up to the Brewers at the Triple-A All-Star Game in Toledo. Senior felt that Junior was putting him on.
The only thing Junior was putting on was a Brewers uniform. The son indeed also rises.
Gwynn, 23, was batting .305 with 24 stolen bases with Triple-A Nashville.
The Atlanta Braves selected Gwynn out of Poway (Calif.) High in the 33rd round (1,000 pick overall) in 2000, but he opted to move on to college at San Diego State, where Senior was also his coach for seasons at SDSU’s Tony Gwinn Stadium. While it must be a bit odd hitting in a stadium that bears your name, sort of... Junior did well for contact, batting .341 with one home run, in three seasons.
Last year, the Brewers made him a second-round pick (39th overall) in the June 2005 Draft.
Gwynn bats left and throws right. He is extremely athletic, is a great defensive player and has good speed. His level, left-handed swing is reminiscent of his dad’s legendary stroke, but Junior has even less power than Senior (135 in 20 seasons).
Gwynn is a gap hitter who should log plenty of doubles and triples. Many scouts believe he will be a better hitter with the switch from aluminum to wooden bats.
Tony Sr. was a slap hitter with speed early in his career. He stole 56 bases in 1987, but his weight ballooned later, leaving his bat to do most of his talking on the field. Las Vegas manager Jerry Royster, Senior’s former teammate, feels Junior is what Senior once was: “a speed-demon singles hitter.”
While Gwynn didn't stay up, we expect him to have a good shot at a permanent call-up in 2007. Several of our scouts say he might also be a nice part of a trade package, leaving his Winter open to opportunity. He debuts on the MLN FAB50 Baseball 2006 rankings at No. 44, no less, no more.
- Jim MANDELARO
