“The years teach much which the days never knew.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Tony Gwynn died Monday. Baseball holds a special place in my heart, and Gwynn was one of the very best hitters to ever play. He was also one of very few to play their entire careers with one team. And now he’s gone. At only 54 years old, Gwynn, a true baseball guy, succumbed to one of baseball’s old habits, years of chewing tobacco. Kids, take note. The years teach what the days never knew. That “thing” that “all the guys did” just reduced the number of guys by one more.
At my uncle’s funeral about ten years ago, my cousin said, “Look around. There’s no one from the generation ahead of us left.”
And so it is with age.
When the generation before us moves on, it’s expected. It’s part of the deal. But when the guys we “knew” start passing, it hits closer to home.
Gwynn batted .338 for his career, and only Ted Williams had a better average during the modern era.
Gwynn, it is said, used to cut a small hole in the tarp behind the pitching machine during batting practice, and turn the speed on the machine down real slow. Then, for twenty minutes at a time, he’d try to hit change ups — through the hole in the tarp.
Most of his peers just crushed fastballs in the cage. Most of his peers would not have considered setting the machine for change-ups. And none of his peers would have tried to hit them through a five-inch hole behind the machine.
That’s why he really didn’t have many peers. And that’s why I loved to watch him play.
A recent post here touched on talent. Tony Gwynn was a rare talent, and the game will miss him. So will I.
Colleen says
“The years teach much which the days never knew.” Letting go of the small stuff. It’s not personal. We all put our pants on one leg at time. Not as eloquent as Emerson, but thank goodness the years teach much that the days never knew.
Thanks for sharing this.