SAN DIEGO -- There were two certainties about Tony Gwynn: He could hit a baseball like few other major leaguers, and he was going to laugh. cheapnfljerseyschinastore . Gwynn was a craftsman at the plate, whose sweet left-handed swing made him one of baseballs greatest hitters. The Hall of Famer died Monday of oral cancer, a disease he attributed to years of chewing tobacco. He was 54. Any knowledgeable fan can recite Gwynns key stats. He had 3,141 hits -- 18th on the all-time list -- a career .338 average and won eight batting titles to tie Honus Wagners NL record. There was far more to the man. In a rarity in pro sports, Gwynn played his whole career with the Padres, choosing to stay in the city where he was a two-sport college star rather than leaving for bigger paychecks elsewhere. He was loyal, generous and approachable. He smiled a lot. It didnt take much to get him to laugh his hearty laugh. Gwynn loved San Diego. San Diego loved "Mr. Padre" right back. His death left even casual fans grieving. "Our city is a little darker today without him, but immeasurably better because of him," Mayor Kevin Faulconer said in a statement. Five things to remember about Gwynn: HIS CRAFT: After spending parts of just two seasons in the minors, he made his big league debut on July 19, 1982. Gwynn had two hits that night. After Gwynn doubled, career hits leader Pete Rose, who been trailing the play, said to him: "Hey, kid, what are you trying to do, catch me in one night?" On Monday, Rose recalled Gwynns work ethic and his pioneering use of video to study his at-bats after every game. "Every day you went to the ballpark in San Diego and we used to go 2:30 or 3 oclock, Tony would be out there hitting, religiously, every day," Rose said. "Fifty-four years old is way too young." THE LAUGH: Former Padres teammate Tim Flannery recalls Gwynn as "always laughing, always talking, always happy." It didnt take much for Gwynn to cackle or break into a horse laugh. "He had a work ethic unlike anybody else, and had a childlike demeanour of playing the game just because he loved it so much," said Flannery, third base coach for the San Francisco Giants. THE 5.5 HOLE: Gwynn loved to hit the other way, through the hole between third base and shortstop. "All I keep thinking of when I think of Tony Gwynn is that line drive base hit to left field, or the one-hopper in the hole at shortstop to left field," Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully said. "He hit the ball wherever it was pitched, and he was just a genius with the bat, without a doubt." SAN DIEGO STATE: Gwynn had been on a medical leave since late March from his job as baseball coach at San Diego State, his alma mater. He called it his dream job, one he began right after retiring from the Padres following the 2001 season. He coached his son, Tony Jr., whos with the Philadelphia Phillies. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Gwynn played point guard for the SDSU basketball team -- he still holds the game, season and career record for assists -- and in the outfield on the baseball team. He was drafted by both the Padres (third round) and San Diego Clippers (10th round) on the same day in 1981. As much as he loved basketball, baseball was his future. Texas Augie Garrido, the winningest college baseball coach, said at the College World Series on Monday that he tried to recruit Gwynn when he was coaching at Cal State Fullerton, but told him he wouldnt be able to play baseball and basketball. Because baseball would be well underway by the time basketball ended, "Youd have to be one hell of a baseball player to be break into the lineup," Garrido recalled telling Gwynn. "He decided to go to San Diego State. After he won his seventh batting title at Dodger Stadium on the last day of the season, he broke that story to the LA Times. He didnt leave out one bit of information about how stupid I was. Thats why my recruiting genius is limited," said Garrido, who added he and Gwynn had a good relationship. TERRIFIC TONY: Gwynn struck out only 434 times in 9,288 career at-bats. He played in San Diegos only two World Series -- batting a combined .371 -- and was a 15-time All-Star. He had a home run in Game 1 of the 1998 World Series off fellow San Diegan David Wells and scored the winning run in the 1994 All-Star Game despite a bum knee. Gwynn never hit below .309 in a full season. He spread his batting titles from 1984, when he batted .351, to 1997, when he hit .372. Gwynn was hitting .394 when a players strike ended the 1994 season, denying him a shot at becoming the first player to hit .400 since San Diego native Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941. www.cheapnfljerseyschinastore.us.com . Lee doubled and scored in his debut, Buerhle struck out a season-best eight over 7 2-3 innings and Miami beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-0 Thursday to split the four-game series. cheapnfljerseyschinastore.us.com .Com Tour. The former Canadian Amateur champion, who made his rookie year as a professional a memorable one, has had a long wait to get back on the course and after last season, hes anxious to play. Jason Spezza is gone, so the Ottawa Senators needed a top centre. David Legwand needed a home a few days into free agency. On Friday the Senators went about the process of replacing Spezza by signing Legwand to a US$6-million, two-year contract. The 33-year-old cited filling that spot and playing for coach Paul MacLean as the reasons he chose Ottawa over some other teams. Legwand does know hes not a Spezza clone and wont try to be. "Obviously what Jason Spezza did in Ottawa was pretty remarkable," Legwand said on a conference call. "Hes a point-a-game guy and a very rare offensive talent. I dont think youre going to fill his shoes, but I think you can go in there, do some things and maybe help the all-around game." Legwand played more than 900 NHL games over 15 seasons with the Nashville Predators before being traded at the deadline to the Detroit Red Wings. He had 51 points (14 goals and 37 assists) in 83 games in 2014-15, and 577 points in his career. Spezza had 23 goals and 43 assists for 66 points in his only season as Senators captain. He asked for a trade and got his wish Tuesday with a trade to the Dallas Stars for right-winger Alex Chiasson, two prospects and a draft pick. Legwand, who will count $3 million against the salary cap each season and make $2.5 million in the first year and then $3.5 million in the second, expects to fill in as the Senators second-line centre behind Kyle Turris. In a statement announcing the signing, general manager Bryan Murray didnt promise that but complimented the different things Legwand can do. "David is a good, veteran centre, a guy that skates pretty well, gets up and down the ice," Murray said. "We just think the way things shook out for us that having an experienced centre that can be a decent faceoff man, be a good defensive player, get points, was very important at this time." Legwand, a Detroit native, reportedly drew interest from the Toronto Maple Leafs and otheers. http://www.cheapnfljerseyschinastore.us.com/. MacLean made a difference in his decision-making. "I just think hes a great hockey person," Legwand said. "He obviously won the coach of the year for a reason, and I think playing against him in Detroit I think he had a lot to do with a lot of their success there." MacLean was the Jack Adams Award winner in 2013 when the Senators overcame injuries to Spezza, defenceman Erik Karlsson and goaltender Craig Anderson to make the playoffs. They missed this past year after Daniel Alfredsson left to sign with the Red Wings. Legwand believes the Senators, with Milan Michalek back on a $12-million, three-year contract, Bobby Ryan, Turris and Karlsson leading the offence, can contend for a playoff spot next season. "Thats got to be your goal is to get into the dance," Legwand said. "If you get in you never know what can happen." Also Friday the Senators signed restricted-free-agent defenceman Eric Gryba to a $2.5-million, two-year deal. Hell count $1.25 million against the cap each year, making $1.2 million next season and $1.3 million after that. Gryba, 26, had 11 points (2-9) in 57 games last season. The Senators might not be done making moves, as Murray reiterated he was continuing to discuss a trade and added, "its just a matter of if we can get satisfaction both ways." "We probably will do something else but I do feel comfortable with the roster," Murray said. "I think that if we have to add we will, but it looks like our young players that have been drafted by the organization and have developed within -- weve got a couple of guys that are ready and if they get a chance Im sure theyll perform very well." There have been reports that Ottawa has had discussions with the Philadelphia Flyers about veteran forward Vincent Lecavalier. Fridays signing reduces the likelihood of that, unless Lecavalier plays the wing or Legwand centres the third line. cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '