Tony Gwynn memorabilia to be sold by SCP Auctions
By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor
The memorabilia collection of one of baseball’s greats is headed to the auction block next week.
SCP Auctions will have more than 100 lots of awards and memorabilia for Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn up for sale beginning Wednesday. Gwynn died June 16 at age 54 after a long battle with cancer. A part of the money from the actions will go to the Tony and Alicia Gwynn Foundation, which is based in San Diego.
“Tony had a wonderful baseball career,” said Alicia Gwynn, Tony’s widow, in a prepared statement. “But he was also a man of honor and integrity who really wanted to make a difference in this world. This auction will serve two objectives: to share his baseball memorabilia with the fans who loved him and to give something back to the city that treated us so well.”
Among the items to be sold are Gwynn’s Silver Slugger awards, All-Star Game rings, game-used baseballs for milestone hits and much more.
Gwynn was selected to the Hall of Fame in 2007 after a career that included 3,141 hits. Nicknamed “Mr. Padre,” he was an All-Star in 15 of his 20 big-league seasons in which he hit .338 and won eight National League batting titles — all with the Padres. While his career average ranks 20th in MLB history, he also was a five-time Gold Glove winner playing outfield.
“It’s a tremendous honor for us to conduct this auction,” said SCP Auctions President David Kohler. “Tony was obviously a great baseball player but he was also a well-respected man who earned the admiration of both his teammates and opponents and that says a lot about his character.”
The auction will be open until April 25.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball and Beckett Sports Card Monthly magazines. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisolds2009.
