Tony Gwynn

There is probably no one who has won over the public in San Diego as much as Tony Gwynn has. While Tony Gwynn the baseball player is worthy of Hall of Fame status, it is Tony Gwynn the human being that endeared himself to many San Diegans. Born in Los Angeles in 1960, Gwynn grew up in Long Beach where he attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School. Not only was he a skilled baseball player, he was also good at basketball. Interestingly enough, Gwynn actually chose to play basketball and not baseball during his freshman year at San Diego State University. He twice earned All Western Athletic Conference honors and was eventually drafted by the San Diego Clippers of the National Basketball Association. In his sophomore year, Gwynn joined the baseball team at SDSU while continuing to play basketball there. It turned out to be a wise decision as Gwynn's baseball credentials were better than those he earned in basketball. He received both All Western Athletic Conference and NCAA All-Americ