The Media is not supposed to do it… but we will break this rule this time.

There’s college baseball to be played around the country today.  1st round of the NCAA regional tournaments.  San Diego State, coming off an awesome season, plays Mississippi State at 11am in the South regional in Louisiana.

A loaded batting order, with 5- .300 hitters will be there.  A deep pitching staff, with All American reliever Mike Cederoth and big strikeout starter Bubba Derby will be there.  The coach, the superstar, the icon, the local hero, will not.

Tony Gwynn, continuing the fight of his life, to beat back cancer, and regain his immune system and strength, has been bed-ridden, and in a wheel chair for an extended time.  The laugh and smile are there at times, but we all know the implications of relapses, and the wear-and-tear factor of chemo-radiation and multiple surgeries.

His legacy will forever be in a Padres uniform as a Hall of Fame batter.  His lasting accomplishment at his alma mater is what he has finally built SDSU into, a very good college program.

It’s not been easy, this war against the disease.  But he has never wavered.  It hasn’t been easy, the missteps taken in trying to find the right combination in recruiting at SDSU.

Gwynn has hit a home run, finding the balance in scheduling, and convincing young pitching to come to the Mesa and build a career.

Every San Diegan is pulling for, rooting for Tony, to slap this disease thru the 5.5. hole and beat it back again.

He will be there in spirit and his uniform will be in the Aztecs dugout this entire weekend.  He will watch from afar, but everyone in San Diego, while rooting for his team, are rooting more for the man, the media included.

Root root root for the home team and its coach…

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