Gwynn

SAN DIEGO — As the perks of a Hall of Fame career piled up — a bronze statue at the ballpark, his image on a Wheaties box, a party fit for a Hollywood star — Tony Gwynn let his mind wander back to his humble beginnings in pro baseball.

He roomed with John Kruk in rookie ball in the summer of 1981 and the two rode their bikes to the ballpark. They wondered how they'd ever show their talent when the bats the team provided were bigger than the ones they had been swinging.

"I can remember us sitting on the back of a bus in Walla Walla, Wash., it's 100 degrees and the windows wouldn't open, we're drinking Coca-Colas and talking about how great one day it would be if we could ever get to the big leagues," Gwynn said.

He made it, all right, all the way to Cooperstown.

One of the game's greatest contact hitters, Gwynn will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Sunday, along with Cal Ripken Jr.

"I think the magnitude of it is starting to hit me square in the face, because every night I have trouble sleeping, and every day you have to write something down," Gwynn said.

Gwynn grew up in the Los Angeles area and saw future Hall of Famers come through Dodger Stadium, such as Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Mike Schmidt and Richie Allen.

Later he got to play against some of them and he was never shy about picking their brains.

Gwynn might have become the first player since Williams to hit. 400 if the players hadn't gone on strike in August 1994. He was hitting. 394 at the time, and getting better.

Gwynn wouldn't reveal much about his induction speech, but he does plan to acknowledge several Hall of Famers who will be sitting behind him.

"A lot of them helped me more than they'll ever know, because I was always asking questions. I was always being a pest because I wanted to get better, and I felt like, who better, let me go to Rod Carew, ask him a question. Let me ask Mike Schmidt. Ozzie Smith. Willie Mays, Hank Aaron."