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Proud Padres Gwynn calls it a career; Henderson reaches milestone
Updated: Monday October 08, 2001 9:58 AM
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Rickey Henderson took one swing and got his 3,000th hit. Tony Gwynn took one swing and his 20-year Hall of Fame career was over. Few in the crowd of 60,103 will remember that the San Diego Padres were routed 14-5 by the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. They got to see history on two fronts. Gwynn tried for one final hit, but grounded sharply to shortstop on the first pitch he saw from Colorado reliever Jose Jimenez in the ninth inning. Gwynn ran it out, put his helmet down in the dugout and then walked along the bench, hugging each of his teammates. With that, his big league career was over. Next up is a job as head baseball coach at his alma mater, San Diego State, following the Aztecs' 2002 season.
"I'm at peace," Gwynn said. "It's been wonderful." Manager Bruce Bochy sent Henderson out as third-base coach in the ninth. No sooner had Damian Jackson grounded out, the cheers grew for Gwynn and flashbulbs went off around the stadium. Gwynn walked to home plate, doffed his helmet, then settled in. He said before the game that he planned to go out hacking, and he did just that. "I was trying to hit the 5.5 hole," Gwynn said of his favorite spot, between the third baseman and shortstop. "I just knew I was probably going to get a fastball in the middle of the plate. I got out in front and hit it right at the shortstop. "I probably could have done a little bit better. Bottom line is, is it going to matter? No. Wasn't going to win the game, wasn't going to lose the game." During a postgame ceremony, Gwynn addressed the crowd for about 17 minutes, then circled the field, shaking hands with fans along the first- and third-base lines and waving to those in the outfield. "It's been unbelievable," Gwynn said. "Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I'd be standing here after 20 years feeling good about a decision I made a year and a half ago. But I do. I feel I've done all I can do as a baseball player. "Like my older brother, he's been a teacher for more than 20 years, now it's my turn to teach." After the game, the Padres players who were in the starting lineup for Gwynn's big league debut on July 19, 1982, took the field. Taking Gwynn's spot in center field was his son, Anthony, now an outfielder with San Diego State. Gwynn was presented with a Harley-Davidson motorcycle by his teammates -- the crowd urged him to ride it, but he didn't -- and the Padres announced that their new downtown ballpark, scheduled to open in 2004, will be located at No. 19 Tony Gwynn Drive. Gwynn leaves the game with eight NL batting titles, a .338 lifetime average and 3,141 hits, good for 17th on the all-time list. He finished one hit behind Robin Yount. Henderson, meanwhile, made sure he didn't go into the winter still waiting for his 3,000th hit.
Henderson became the 25th member of the 3,000-hit club with a bloop double, doing it in the last game of the season. "It probably would have bothered me all winter if I didn't get it," said Henderson, the Padres' flamboyant 42-year-old leadoff hitter who is baseball's runs, steals and walks leader. "I'd have stayed in my house all the time." Ending his 23rd season, Henderson made history as quickly as possible. With the huge crowd on its feet, Henderson lofted the first pitch from Colorado's John Thomson toward the right-field line. Three Rockies converged, but the ball dropped in, about 10 feet inside the line. Henderson chugged into second base standing up, with yet another big number that will eventually adorn his Hall of Fame plaque. "I knew this was the last day and I thought I'd have four at-bats," Henderson said. "I wanted to take up the whole at-bat and get as many swings as I could get until I got the hit. "It just so happened I got a pitch inside-out and drove it to right field and it dropped in," he said. Three days earlier, Henderson broke Ty Cobb's career record by scoring his 2,246th run, homering and sliding into the plate. The Padres raced out to second base, and Henderson walked toward them with open arms. Henderson came over to foul territory and got a hug from another member of the 3,000-hit club, Hall of Famer Dave Winfield. Winfield got his 3,000th on Sept. 16, 1993, while with Minnesota. Henderson was presented with a plaque and held it up for the crowd to see. He was presented with the ball by shortstop Juan Uribe, who took the throw from the outfield. Second baseman Terry Shumpert, right fielder Mario Encarnacion and first baseman Todd Helton converged on Henderson's fly ball. Shumpert had the best shot at it, but didn't get there in time. "I'm glad he got it," Thomson added. "I'd feel really weird if he had three or four at-bats and he didn't get a hit. Now when someone asks who gave up Rickey Henderson's 3,000th hit, the answer will be, 'John Thomson.'" Henderson eventually scored on Phil Nevin's single, pushing his runs record to 2,248. Notes: The Rockies hit five home runs, two by Uribe, and the Padres committed four errors. Uribe drove in five runs. ... Thomson struck out 12.
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