San Diego lawmaker declares Tony Gwynn Day

The Tony Gwynn statue "Mr.Padre" is silhouetted against the late afternoon sun as his number "19" shines through balloons. (Lenny Ignelzi/AP)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A San Diego lawmaker who briefly filled in as governor declared Tony Gwynn Day in honour of the late Padres baseball player.

Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins proclaimed Wednesday as a day to remember the Hall of Famer who spent his entire career with the Padres.

Gwynn had 3,141 hits in 20 seasons and served as head baseball coach at San Diego State. He died of oral cancer at age 54 in June.

Atkins’ proclamation praises Gwynn for formidable skills on the field and an exuberant personality.

The San Diego Democrat became California’s fourth governor in four days while Gov. Jerry Brown led a trade mission to Mexico this week. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Senate leader Darrell Steinberg also served as governor before leaving the state for other reasons.

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