The 100 Greatest in 100 Days: #80 Tony Gwynn

Hitting the list at #80 is Padres legend Tony Gwynn. Gwynn is arguably the most skilled batsman in baseball history, using his keen eye and amazing contact skills to reach 3,000 hits in just 2,284 games which is the 3rd fastest to 3,000 in history and the fastest in more than 100 years. Gwynn led the league in batting average eight times and hits seven times, both ranking second in history behind Ty Cobb. He also led the league in at-bats/K a remarkable 10 times. His .338 career batting average is the highest since 1960 and the 18th best mark in history. Gwynn is one of only four players to hit at least .350 in four consecutive seasons and the only to do so since 1930. He’s one of only three players in history with at least 3,100 career hits, 300 stolen bases, and fewer than 450 strikeouts and the only player to do it since 1930. Gwynn hit over .300 in an incredible 19-straight seasons and hit .394 in 1994 which is the best single-season mark since 1941.

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Hi (hopefully) awesome reader! I welcome your comments. However, please be aware that I make all of my arguments using facts, statistics, and logic. Unfortunately, the average comment on a top-100 list goes something like this:

"UR StooPid. (Insert player) is trash. I've watched (pick a sport) for (pick a number of years) and (pick a player) is better than everyone. UR DUMB. HAHA6969."

–Some Jabroni

As cognitively stimulating as this species of comment is, it ends up being a missed opportunity to share a nuanced perspective. I reply to all comments that show even the most basic levels of thought and humility. The people who make the comments like the example above are under the assumption that the three seconds of thought that popped into their brains after reading the list is more than the 1000s of hours that I put into creating and maintaining the lists. I would be happy to defend any placement, or make an adjustment if one is warranted. If you are a jabroni, like the one above, then your comment will die in the lonely void of the unpublished comments section.

For everyone else, I look forward to your comments!

P.S. The theme of this site and the top-100 lists is that athletes from previous generations have historically been grossly overrated by sports publications in a way that is statistically improbable. Click on the "About" dropdown menu to see just how badly the average top-100 list disproportionately favors athletes from older generations when leagues were smaller, race quotas existed, and globalization wasn't a thing. Also, please consider reading "The History" section of the sport you are commenting on.

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