On the day “Mr. Padre” Tony Gwynn should be celebrating his 55th birthday, I was thinking of the best way to pay tribute to the greatest sports figure our city has called our own. While it won’t happen today, I think the best thing we can do in his memory is make sure his death teaches us a lesson and ban tobacco in Major League Baseball.
Gwynn passed away June 16, 2014 from salivary gland cancer he believes was the result of being a longtime tobacco chewer. Gwynn began his cancer battle in 2009 when he had a malignant tumor removed from his right cheek. His cancer returned twice and towards the end of 2012 Gwynn began radiation treatment to try and shrink the tumor.
Throughout the difficult times Mr. Padre fought and fought. Now it’s our turn to see a change and San Francisco is leading the way.
On May 8th the city by the bay became the first U.S. city to ban smokeless tobacco at sporting venues. The ordinance goes into effect January 1, 2016 and includes AT&T Park; home of Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants.
"It's a step in the right direction," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who was a team mate of Gwynn's and managed him with the Padres. Bochy has chewed tobacco on and off for decades but quit at one point with help from a hypnotist.
"It's a tough deal for some of these players who have grown up playing with it and there are so many triggers in the game," Bochy added. "I certainly don't endorse it. With my two sons, the one thing I asked them is don't ever start dipping."
Major League Baseball has banned chewing tobacco at the minor league level but run in to resistance from the MLB Players Association. Anti-smoking groups who support the measure say it sends the right message to kids who see baseball players as role models.
We want to know what you think about this. Would you like to see San Diego follow suit and adopt a ban on tobacco at sporting venues? Or do you think it infringes on people's personal rights?
