Street is right. Tony Gwynn is one of the best of all time. So seriously, what gives? When Gwynn’s friend Ted Williams died the week before the 2002 All-Star Game, the league immediately jumped into action and named its All-Star MVP award after the Boston Red Sox legend. Now, that award wasn’t given out until a year later in 2003 because of the tie in Milwaukee, but still.
Heck, George Steinbrenner died on the same day of the 2010 All-Star Game and MLB officials still had enough time to put together a moment of silence AND a press conference involving Yankee All-Stars.
It wouldn’t have taken much, really. Just a few clips of a smiling Gwynn, some highlights and a reminder that he played the game “the right way” during what ended up becoming an ugly time for baseball. It would have reflected well on the sport and would’ve given Gwynn the moment he deserved.