On February 15th, current SDSU coach, former Padre, and a childhood idol of mine Tony Gwynn underwent a second surgery to remove another cancerous tumor from his face. It was shocking to read about. You can read it HERE and you can read where I first wrote about Mr. Gywnn and his cancer on BYB here... read WHY WE NEED TO STOP AND THINK. This time doctors removed a nerve along with the growth from inside his right cheek. They replaced it with one from his neck. Doctors say it could take up to 18 months before he regains movement to the right side of his face. 18 MONTHS!
All of this stems from chewing tobacco during his playing days. Dip, Chew, Chaw; call it whatever you want, but this stuff is nasty and can have long lasting health effects. Kids want to emulate their favorite players, but take warning: DON'T COPY THIS BEHAVIOR.
Tony Gwynn had one of the sweetest swings I've ever seen. The guy also played hard every day, on every play. Growing up in the 80s and being a Yankee fan, I had limited exposure to Gwynn but when I did see him I was in awe....he, Don Mattingly, Ozzie Smith, Kirby Puckett; those were the guys all the kids wanted to be.
We wish Tony the best and hope he recovers soon!
--Lem Allen, BYB Freelance Contributor
Email me at:bybcurmudgeon@gmail.com
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