SAN DIEGO -- Tony Gwynn could handle a bat like few other major leaguers, whether it was driving the ball through the "5. Chad Henne Chiefs 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. Custom Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys . Belfort was originally schedule to fight Chris Weidman at UFC 173 on May 24, but a Nevada State Athletic Commission ban on testosterone replacement therapy forced the former light heavyweight champ to withdraw. Armani Watts Jersey . You can see all the action on TSN2 beginning at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. Chicago won two of three games during its stay at the United Center. The club began the homestand with a 5-1 win over Pittsburgh on March 1 and fell to Colorado on Tuesday before posting another blowout win in Thursdays tilt against Columbus. http://www.chiefsauthenticofficialstore.com/authentic-anthony-hitchens-jersey.html . -- New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft wanted to keep Logan Mankins with the team for a long time. WINNIPEG -- Paul Maurice wasnt in the mood to be a coroner. The head coach of the Winnipeg Jets watched his teams playoff hopes die with a 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. "Weve got a week to do the autopsy, lets do it later," a grim-faced Maurice told reporters. Pittsburgh defenceman Paul Martin, who missed the last 18 games because of a broken hand, scored the winner 11 seconds into a power play at 7:42 of the third period. Centre Brian Gibbons added the insurance marker when the Jets turned over the puck and he beat goalie Ondrej Pavelec with a low shot at 16:24. Greg Adams and Beau Bennett, also on the power play, had the other goals, while Sidney Crosby added a pair of assists for the Penguins (49-23-5), who clinched the NHLs Metropolitan Division title. Marc-Andre Fleury made 13 saves for his 37th win of the season, while Pavelec stopped 17 shots. Jets forward Olli Jokinen scored his 17th of the season and defenceman Zach Redmond marked his first. Blake Wheelers assist on Jokinens goal gave him a career-high 65 points this season. "We missed the net 18 times. Thats more shots than we put on goal," said Maurice, who was sporting a cut forehead from an errant puck. "So that, to me, was the difference from our offensive point of view." The Winnipeg franchise hasnt made the playoffs since the team was the Atlanta Thrashers in 2006-07. Dallas and Phoenix are tied with 85 points for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, but the Stars have a game in hand. They also still play each other. Winnipeg has 78 points (34-34-10) and only four games left in the season. Maurice took over on Jan. 12 after Claude Noel was fired and sparked the squad to nine victories in his first 11 games behind the bench. Hes now 15-11-5 in trying to turn around the club and has a believer in Jokinen. "Since Pauls got here, I think everybodys been buying into the system," Jokinen said. "I know weve been in every game. Its been close games.. Kendall Fuller Jersey. I think from that standpoint, looking early in the year, its been a big change and I think the teams been going in the right direction." Bennett had the only goal of the first period on the power play. Winnipeg then went ahead with two straight markers, but Adams tied it up with under two minutes left in the second. Jets defenceman Mark Stuart was in the penalty box for both of Pittsburghs power-play goals. "Its not like were playing bad. Were doing a lot of good things and were playing our asses off," Winnipeg defenceman Adam Pardy said. "Were just not getting results. Its tough, its frustrating. Were battling a lot of injuries. Its been a tough road for us. Its definitely frustrating, but we just got to keep moving ahead and keep trying to create an identity as a team and as a group of players." Fleury said reaching the goal of winning their division is only a first step. "I dont think weve been playing the best hockey lately and the best that we can do," he said. "Were missing some key guys in the lineup, too." It was only Pittsburghs third victory in its past seven games. Martins return was praised by coach Dan Bylsma and Crosby. "Hes really patient," Crosby said. "His poise back there, his patience with the puck. Hes just really smart and that kind of calming aspect brings a lot to the power play." Martin actually led all skaters in ice time with 23:46. The game was the first of a three-game road trip for the Penguins, who head to Minnesota for a match against the Wild on Saturday. Winnipeg plays in Toronto on Saturday. Notes: With the win tonight, Bylsma marked his 250th career regular-season victory, the fastest coach in NHL history to reach that milestone in his 396th games. Anaheims Bruce Boudreau won 250 games in 416 games ... Penguin Brooks Orpik was playing in his 700th game ... Its the second time in franchise history that Pittsburgh has won back-to-back division titles, with the last in 1992-93 and 93-94. 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