July 15, 2016
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Baseball's annual batting championships have been named in honor of Hall of Famers Tony Gwynn and Rod Carew, Major League Baseball announced during pregame festivities for the 87th All-Star Game, played at Petco Park in San Diego.
The players who earn the highest batting averages in each League will now be known as the "Tony Gwynn National League Batting Champion" and the "Rod Carew American League Batting Champion," paying homage to two of the most accomplished hitters of the modern era.
Following his 20-year MLB career with the San Diego Padres, Gwynn served as Head Baseball Coach at his alma mater, San Diego State, from 2003 until his passing in 2014. Over that time his teams captured one Mountain West regular season title and a pair of Mountain West tournament Championships while making three NCAA Regional appearances. He was voted the conference Coach of the Year in 2004.
The Mountain West named the league's most valuable player award in Gwynn's honor prior to the 2015 season with the winner now receiving the Tony Gwynn Player of the Year trophy.
Gwynn was a .338 career hitter who batted above .300 in 19 of his 20 Major League seasons, all with the San Diego Padres. The record-tying eight-time NL batting champion collected 3,141 hits. Gwynn, a 15-time NL All-Star, batted a career-best .394 in the 1994 season and hit at least .353 in each of the five seasons between 1993 and 1997.
The former San Diego State University player and coach drew 790 career walks and struck out only 434 times, including never more than 40 in any single season. Gwynn remains tied with fellow Hall of Famer Honus Wagner of the Pittsburgh Pirates for the most batting titles in NL history. He led the Padres to their two World Series in franchise history (1984, 1998). His plaque at the National Baseball Hall of Fame calls Gwynn "an artisan with a bat."
Of Gwynn, Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. commented "Tony is considered one of the greatest hitters in the history of the National League and there is no better place to honor him than in San Diego. Major League Baseball is pleased to recognize his extraordinary career by naming the National League batting crown in his honor."