Gwynn is first true Padre Hall of Famer

Enjoy the moment!

When you watch Tony Gwynn being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, remember that he is the first true Padre ever to be elected to the Hall.

Dave Winfield went in as a Padre, but he is the same Dave Winfield who couldn’t wait to get out of San Diego after his contract expired in 1980.

Gwynn, the real Mr. Padre, had a career that may never be paralleled in Padres history. Consider:

Eight NL Batting Titles (tied with Honus Wagner for the league record)
15-time NL All-Star
Seven Sporting News Silver Slugger Awards
Five Sporting News All-League Selections
Seven-Time Most Valuable Padre
Five Rawlings Gold Glove Awards
Five-Time NL Player of the Month
Roberto Clemente Award in 1999 for community service
Branch Rickey Award for Community Service by a Major League Player in 1995
Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Community Service by a Padres Player in 1995
Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award in 2001
Four Consecutive Batting Titles (1994-97)
Seven NL Hit Titles
Seven NL Singles Titles
16 Consecutive Seasons with .300 or Higher Batting Average (1984-99)

Indeed, enjoy the moment Sunday!

(Source: 2007 San Diego Padres Media Guide)

Cameron may need vision test

Mike Cameron of the Padres probably needs to be checked by an optometrist.

Cameron has misjudged at least four balls in the twilight this season. He’s also not making as many of the spectacular plays that have made him a three-time Gold Glove award winner.

Obviously, he is not tracking the ball as well as he used to.

Manager Bud Black excuses Cameron’s misplays by saying that Darin Erstad normally missed one ball per homestand because of the twilight when he played for the Anaheim Angels. That was Erstad. He’s the same guy who misjudged a fly ball in the twilight this year in Anaheim during his first game back with the Chicago White Sox.

Cameron was not losing balls in the twilight last season. He also seemed to be getting better jumps on the ball in 2006.

Let’s just hope this is an early-season bump in the road; not a developing pattern.

In the meantime, the Padres should have Cameron’s eyes checked out; just to be sure there is no lingering impact from the brutal collision he had in the Petco Park outfield with then New York Mets’ teammate Carlos Beltran in August 2005.