I know this isn’t directly Negro Leagues-related, but I had to note the shocking passing of my favorite all-time MLB player, Tony Gwynn. He was one of the classiest guys in the sport for a long, long time, he remained committed to one franchise, and he was the best pure hitter in the majors since Ted Williams, who himself agreed with that assessment, if I’m correct.

I wrote a paper in grad school about news coverage of Tony Gwynn, and I have an authentic Gwynn Padres jersey. I almost never wear it because I’m worried I’ll get ketchup or something on it (I’m prone to messing handling of sammiches, don’t ask), but tomorrow I will wear it proudly.

Here’s a link to an article on Tony’s passing on the BHOF Web site.