Mountain West Baseball MVP Award Named 'Tony Gwynn Award'

The Mountain West Conference announced Wednesday that its baseball Player of the Year award will be named after San Diego Padres Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, who died of cancer in June.

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Tony Gwynn, seen in the Padres signature yellow and brown uniform of the 1980s, played 20 years with San Diego.

Baseball Hall of Fame

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Tony Gwynn was a two-sport star at San Diego State but found his greatest success as a baseball player.

San Diego State Media Relations

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Tony Gwynn follows through while swinging the bat.

Baseball Hall of Fame

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Tony Gwynn smiles after reaching base on a hit.

Baseball Hall of Fame

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Gywnn first came to San Diego in 1977 on a basketball scholarship to San Diego State University. This photo was from the 1979-1980 season.

San Diego State Media Relations

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Tony Gwynn fans pay tribute to the baseball legend in front of his statue at Petco Park, June 16, 2014.

Susan Murphy

Gwynn, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, was the head coach of Mountain West member San Diego State University from 2002 until his death.

The league's baseball coaches made the recommendation in August, and it was recently approved by the conference's governing council.

Gwynn was a two-time All-American outfielder for the Aztecs after batting .423 in 1980 and .416 in 1981. He was subsequently drafted by the Padres and the then-San Diego Clippers after also starring as a basketball point guard.

With the Padres, the 15-time All-Star won eight National League batting titles and became a fan favorite. His son, Tony Jr., also played at SDSU and is now a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The naming of the award will take effect next season. The uniforms for players on Mountain West teams will also display a TG logo on their uniforms next year, according to the Mountain West.