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Gwynn flashes Hall numbers

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Also by Ben Voelkel:

Rocky trip Outback for UW (January 1, 2008)

by Ben Voelkel

Friday, January 19, 2007

I can remember the feeling of devastation as if it was yesterday. I was only eight and a diehard Milwaukee Brewers fan; I couldn’t comprehend what was going on.

Major League baseball players were sitting out, and America’s pastime was shutting down. Being a Brewers fan was tough enough, and now baseball was stopping completely. I remember my dad trying to explain things like collective bargaining, salary caps and revenue sharing, but all of it sounded too strange. Why would these guys possibly stop playing baseball over a few dollars? They are baseball players! They have the best job imaginable. I would play for free!

The net result of that 1994 MLB strike was the first canceled World Series in 90 years, managing to do what two world wars could not.

So why is the strike important now, in the middle of baseball’s offseason, 13 years later? The Baseball Hall of Fame recently concluded balloting for its 2007 class, and headlining the ballot were Cal Ripken Jr., Tony Gwynn and Mark McGwire, a trio who dominated the '90s baseball landscape, albeit in quite different ways: McGwire’s prodigious power led a league-wide power surge in the second half of the '90s, Ripken’s durability allowed him to play every game for the first nine years of the decade, and Gwynn’s sweet swing led the National League in batting four times.

The media reaction to the balloting results — which saw Gwynn and Ripken elected to the Hall of Fame with historic consensuses and McGwire falling far short of the 75 percent approval required for induction — oddly mirrored the attention each player received while he built his Hall résumé.

The media attention surrounding McGwire when he was bashing fastballs farther than some puddle-jumping airplanes fly returned again on a lesser scale. This time, the focus was not on how many homers he popped into the stands, but instead on how many steroids or supplements he may have popped into his mouth.

Ripken was expected to be there when the inductees were announced — the only question was how large of a percentage he would receive. Similarly, he was expected to be there every day when the starting lineups were announced — the only question was for how long he would last.

Gwynn received very little attention. As a player, all Gwynn did was hit. A lot. Not long, towering shots like McGwire. Not every day like Ripken. In the SportsCenter era, Gwynn specialized in hitting singles — the least flashy play in baseball. Gwynn went about his business largely under the radar. When it came to the Hall discussion this year, Gwynn was the somewhat forgotten one, stuck playing third fiddle behind McGwire and Ripken.

The three are all so closely tied to the strike-shortened season and its aftermath. McGwire and Ripken are largely credited with resuscitating MLB after the strike, and rightly so. The feel-good story of Ripken playing in every game for sixteen seasons mirrored how the average person showed up and worked every day. And the home run chase for Roger Maris’ single season home run record between McGwire and Sammy Sosa captivated the nation during the 1998 season.

Gwynn’s tie to the strike is at the root of why he may be a less recognized player despite winning eight batting titles over his 20-year career. In a game where numbers and stats are king, and tradition is cherished, that '94 strike-shortened season saw Gwynn take on an assault of the most elusive number in baseball: the .400 batting average. When the strike ended the season Aug. 12, 1994, Gwynn’s average sat at .394. It doesn’t get much closer than that. Had only three bloopers gone uncaught or three grounders found holes in the infield, Gwynn would have had his .400.

Had the season continued, there is a definite possibility he would have raised his average six hundredths of a point and finished with the first .400 season since Ted Williams in 1941. As it stands now, Gwynn is the last hitter to seriously challenge for a .400 season (The highest average to finish a season since '94 was Larry Walker’s .379 in '99). If only Gwynn had reached that mark, his '94 season would never have been forgotten. Gwynn would then almost certainly be one of the first players mentioned when the best hitters of all time are discussed. Instead, he may end up as an afterthought, as unfair as it may be.

But there was much more to Gwynn’s game than just a productive left-handed stroke. Gwynn actually was quite the defensive player too, early in his career, winning five Gold Gloves between '86 and '91.

As his career continued, knee and weight issues limited his mobility in the outfield and on the base paths. Fans who recall only the Gwynn of latter years may be surprised to find out that a younger, trimmer Gwynn was actually a prolific base stealer. Over a six-year span from '84 to '89, Gwynn stole an average of 34 bases a season, peaking with a 56-steal season in '87.

Perhaps part of the reason Gwynn is often overlooked is because he played a quiet game. He wasn’t especially flashy, didn’t hit a lot of home runs and wasn’t one for long streaks — his career long hit streak was only 25 games. In comparison, there have been 46 streaks of 30 games or longer in MLB history, including a 32-gamer in 1997 by some guy named Hal Morris.

But Gwynn wasn’t just a baseball player. While at San Diego State, he also starred for the Aztecs on the basketball court as the team’s point guard, where he still holds records for most assists in a season (221) and most assists in a career (590, held by a margin of nearly 200). He also ranks third all-time at the school for steals. And talk about your good days! On the same day as the Padres made Gwynn the 58th overall selection in the MLB draft, the Clippers chose him in the 10th round of the NBA draft.

Not surprisingly, not many people remember that either.

Ben is a sophomore majoring in political science and journalism. Send your thoughts about Gwynn, the Hall of Fame or the strike to bvoelkel@badgerherald.com.

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