Tony Gwynn was taking some extra batting practice before Friday’s Cubs-Padres game when he grabbed his side, bent over and winced in pain.
Gwynn walked around for a few seconds, then got back into the cage and took a few more cuts.
In this day and age of pampered millionaire athletes, many of whom take a seat on the bench at the slightest ache or even a bruised ego, Gwynn is a notable exception to the rule.
The old saying about great hitters is that they can fall out of bed and hit. Gwynn is actually doing it.
Last Sunday in Chicago, Gwynn was in a hospital bed having a kidney stone removed.
On Monday, Padres owner John Moores sent his private jet to Chicago to fly Gwynn and wife Alicia back to San Diego. By Thursday, Gwynn was back in the starting lineup, going 2 for 5 with two RBIs, including the game-winner, in the Padres’ 5-4 victory over Cincinnati.
Friday night in Qualcomm Stadium, Gwynn singled home the first Padres run off Steve Trachsel in the third inning, keeping his average above .380 in his pursuit of the elusive .400 mark.
So how does a player go from a hospital bed to the batter’s box so soon after undergoing surgery?
“I have no idea,” Gwynn said before the game. “On Thursday I felt great. Today I feel like I need a transfusion or something.”
Gwynn could easily have sat out for another week or two until the pain had subsided completely. His team is out of the race and the .400 mark is looking more unreachable by the day.
“They wanted me to sit,” he said. “But I sat out five days, and that was plenty. The rest was good, but you’ve got to get back out there. Playing with pain is part of the game. You always feel you can have an impact whether you’re 100 percent or not. I felt sluggish today, but I’ll get through it.”
If only the Cubs could be so sluggish.
