SAN DIEGO -- Tony Gwynn could handle a bat like few other major leaguers, whether it was driving the ball through the "5. [url=http://www.vikingsauthenticshop.com/Vikings-Trevor-Siemian-Draft-Je rsey/]Trevor Siemian Jersey[/url] .5 hole" between third base and shortstop or hitting a home run

SAN DIEGO -- Tony Gwynn could handle a bat like few other major leaguers, whether it was driving the ball through the "5. Trevor Siemian Jersey .5 hole" between third base and shortstop or hitting a home run off the facade in Yankee Stadium in the World Series. He was a craftsman at the plate, whose sweet left-handed swing made him one of baseballs greatest hitters. Gwynn loved San Diego. San Diego loved "Mr. Padre" right back. Gwynn, a Hall of Famer and one of the greatest athletes in San Diegos history, died Monday of oral cancer, a disease he attributed to years of chewing tobacco. He was 54. "Our city is a little darker today without him but immeasurably better because of him," Mayor Kevin Faulconer said in a statement. 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 star in college, rather than leaving for bigger paychecks elsewhere. His terrific hand-eye co-ordination made him one of the games greatest pure hitters. 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. He 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 memorable 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 out 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. Gwynn befriended Williams and the two loved to talk about hitting. Gwynn steadied Williams when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the 1999 All-Star Game at Bostons Fenway Park. Fellow Hall of Famer Greg Maddux tweeted, "Tony Gwynn was the best pure hitter I ever faced! Condolences to his family." Gwynn was known for his hearty laugh and warm personality. Every day at 4 p.m., Gwynn sat in the Padres dugout and talked baseball or anything else with the media. Tim Flannery, who was teammates with Gwynn on the Padres 1984 World Series team and later was on San Diegos coaching staff, said hell "remember the cackle to his laugh. He was always laughing, always talking, always happy." "The baseball world is going to miss one of the greats, and the world itself is going to miss one of the great men of mankind," said Flannery, the San Francisco Giants third base coach. "He cared so much for other people. He had a work ethic unlike anybody else, and had a childlike demeanour of playing the game just because he loved it so much." Gwynn had been on a medical leave since late March from his job as baseball coach at San Diego State, his alma mater. He died at a hospital in suburban Poway, agent John Boggs said. "He was in a tough battle and the thing I can critique is hes definitely in a better place," Boggs said. "He suffered a lot. He battled. Thats probably the best way I can describe his fight against this illness he had, and he was courageous until the end." Gwynns wife, Alicia, and other family members were at his side when he died, Boggs said. Gwynns son, Tony Jr., was with the Philadelphia Phillies, who later placed him on the bereavement list. "Today I lost my Dad, my best friend and my mentor," Gwynn Jr. tweeted. "Im gonna miss u so much pops. Im gonna do everything in my power to continue to ... Make u proud!" Gwynn had two operations for cancer in his right cheek between August 2010 and February 2012. The second surgery was complicated, with surgeons removing a facial nerve because it was intertwined with a tumour inside his right cheek. They grafted a nerve from Gwynns neck to help him eventually regain facial movement. Gwynn had been in and out of the hospital and had spent time in a rehab facility, Boggs said. "For more than 30 years, Tony Gwynn was a source of universal goodwill in the national pastime, and he will be deeply missed by the many people he touched," Commissioner Bud Selig said. Fans paid their respects by visiting the statue of Gwynn on a grassy knoll just beyond the outfield at Petco Park. Gwynn was last with his San Diego State team on March 25 before beginning a leave of absence. His Aztecs rallied around a Gwynn bobblehead doll they would set near the bat rack during games, winning the Mountain West Conference tournament and advancing to the NCAA regionals. Last week, SDSU announced it was extending Gwynns contract one season. The Aztecs play at Tony Gwynn Stadium, which was built in the mid-1990s with a $4 million donation by then-Padres owner John Moores. Gwynn was born in Los Angeles on May 9, 1960, and attended high school in Long Beach. He was a two-sport star at San Diego State in the late 1970s and early 1980s, playing point guard for the basketball team -- he still holds the game, season and career record for assists -- and in the outfield on the baseball team. Gwynn always wanted to play in the NBA, until realizing during his final year at San Diego State that baseball would be the ticket to the pros. He was drafted by both the Padres (third round) and San Diego Clippers (10th round) on the same day in 1981. After spending parts of just two seasons in the minor leagues, he made his big league debut on July 19, 1982. Gwynn had two hits that night. After Gwynn hit a double, all-time 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?" In a career full of highlights, Gwynn had his 3,000th hit on Aug. 9, 1999, a first-inning single to right field at Montreals Olympic Stadium. Gwynn retired after the 2001 season and became a volunteer assistant coach at SDSU in 2002. He took over as head coach after that season. He and Cal Ripken Jr. -- who spent his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles -- were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007. "I had no idea that all the things in my career were going to happen," Gwynn said shortly before being inducted. "I sure didnt see it. I just know the good Lord blessed me with ability, blessed me with good eyesight and a good pair of hands, and then I worked at the rest." Gwynn also is survived by a daughter, Anisha. Boggs said services were pending. Laquon Treadwell Jersey . Los Angeles announced its new deal for Kupchak late in the fourth quarter of a 145-130 loss to the Houston Rockets. Kupchak had one year left on his current contract. Sheldon Richardson Jersey .J. -- New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is going to start the off-season training program with a surgically repaired left ankle. http://www.vikingsauthenticshop.com/Vikings-Everson-Griffen-Draft-Jersey/ .S.-Cuba relations means baseball prospects get off the island and into the major leagues without payoffs to smugglers and threats from kidnappers, its hard to see the downside.After one of the greatest offensive halves in league history, the San Antonio Spurs will try to put a stranglehold on the NBA Finals when they visit AmericanAirlines Arena for Game 4 against the Miami Heat. You can watch the game live on TSN and TSN GO at 8:30pm et/5:30pm pt. or listen to the game live on TSN Radio 1050 Toronto and TSN Radio 1260 Edmonton. The Spurs shot a Finals record 75.8 percent from the floor in the first half in Tuesdays Game 3. They blitzed the Heat during that first 24 minutes, building a 25-point lead at one point and posting a 111-92 victory. San Antonio registered 41 first-quarter points and led 71-50 after the first half. The Heat stormed back a bit in the third, but the Spurs were too much. They reclaimed homecourt advantage and snapped Miamis 11-game home winning streak in the postseason dating back to Game 1 of last years Finals. "We think we can win on every court. We have the best record on the road, and we love playing on the road. Sometimes I feel like we play better on the road than at home," Spurs guard Tony Parker said after practice on Wednesday. "So I dont think we had doubts that we can win in Miami. Now we realized it was a crazy game and were not going to play like that every night, thats for sure. But hopefully we can keep playing well." Kawhi Leonard was the hero for the Spurs on Tuesday with a career-high 29 points. Leonard, who had scored just 18 points over the first two games of the Finals, shot 10-of-13 from the floor and went 6-of-7 from the free throw line for the Spurs. "I was focused on both ends the first two games. I just got in some foul trouble. Wasnt really able to get into a rhythm, and Heat did a good job by playing aggressive on defense," said Leonard. "I just made shots last minute." In addition to his offensive output, Leonard served as the primary defender against LeBron James, who supplied 22 points, seven assists, five rebounds and five steals, but committed seven of Miamis 20 turnovers in the setback. Danny Greeen added 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor, while Parker and Tim Duncan contributed 15 and 14 points, respectively, in the victory. Chuck Foreman Jersey. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich made a change to the starting lineup prior to Game 3, inserting Boris Diaw for Tiago Splitter. The decision paid off as Diaw didnt post flashy numbers (nine points, three assists), but he helped facilitate the offense. For the Heat, the loss was bad and ruined a chance at a perfect home record during the postseason, but all is not lost. Miami is 13-0 following a loss in the playoffs dating back to 2012. "Youre always on edge in the postseason, but I dont want to be concerned at this point," James said after practice on Wednesday. "For us we have to make the adjustments. We owned what we had to do today in the film session and well come in with a better mindset tomorrow. But that doesnt mean it results in a win, too. But we have to play with a little bit more focus and a little bit more challenge." Dwyane Wade finished with 22 points, while Rashard Lewis went 4-of-5 from 3- point range en route to 14 points for the Heat. Wade, playing in his 150th career postseason game, surpassed Dirk Nowitzki (3,455) for 17th place on the NBAs all-time postseason scoring list. Chris Bosh had a slow night with only nine points thanks to just 12 touches. Mario Chalmers continued to struggle badly. He finished with just two points and has 10 for the whole series. "You want him to know we still have faith in him, trust in him and we need him," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on Wednesday. "And hes been able to play through tough times and been able to bounce back." Spoelstra indicated no lineup changes were forthcoming. The winner of Game 3 of a tied NBA Finals series has gone on to win the series 83 percent of the time (30-6). However, the Spurs won last years Game 3 with the set tied 1-1 and went on to lose in seven games to the Heat. Game 5 will be Sunday night back in San Antonio. 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