SAN DIEGO -- Tony Gwynn could handle a bat like few other major leaguers, whether it was driving the ball through the "5. Air Max Venta Online .5 hole" between third base and shortstop or hitting a home run off the facade in Yankee Stadium in the World Series. He was a craftsman at the plate, whose sweet left-handed swing made him one of baseballs greatest hitters. Gwynn loved San Diego. San Diego loved "Mr. Padre" right back. Gwynn, a Hall of Famer and one of the greatest athletes in San Diegos history, died Monday of oral cancer, a disease he attributed to years of chewing tobacco. He was 54. "Our city is a little darker today without him but immeasurably better because of him," Mayor Kevin Faulconer said in a statement. In a rarity in pro sports, Gwynn played his whole career with the Padres, choosing to stay in the city where he was a two-sport star in college, rather than leaving for bigger paychecks elsewhere. His terrific hand-eye co-ordination made him one of the games greatest pure hitters. He had 3,141 hits -- 18th on the all-time list -- a career .338 average and won eight batting titles to tie Honus Wagners NL record. He struck out only 434 times in 9,288 career at-bats. He played in San Diegos only two World Series -- batting a combined .371 -- and was a 15-time All-Star. He had a memorable home run in Game 1 of the 1998 World Series off fellow San Diegan David Wells, and scored the winning run in the 1994 All-Star Game despite a bum knee. Gwynn never hit below .309 in a full season. He spread out his batting titles from 1984, when he batted .351, to 1997, when he hit .372. Gwynn was hitting .394 when a players strike ended the 1994 season, denying him a shot at becoming the first player to hit .400 since San Diego native Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941. Gwynn befriended Williams and the two loved to talk about hitting. Gwynn steadied Williams when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the 1999 All-Star Game at Bostons Fenway Park. Fellow Hall of Famer Greg Maddux tweeted, "Tony Gwynn was the best pure hitter I ever faced! Condolences to his family." Gwynn was known for his hearty laugh and warm personality. Every day at 4 p.m., Gwynn sat in the Padres dugout and talked baseball or anything else with the media. Tim Flannery, who was teammates with Gwynn on the Padres 1984 World Series team and later was on San Diegos coaching staff, said hell "remember the cackle to his laugh. He was always laughing, always talking, always happy." "The baseball world is going to miss one of the greats, and the world itself is going to miss one of the great men of mankind," said Flannery, the San Francisco Giants third base coach. "He cared so much for other people. He had a work ethic unlike anybody else, and had a childlike demeanour of playing the game just because he loved it so much." Gwynn had been on a medical leave since late March from his job as baseball coach at San Diego State, his alma mater. He died at a hospital in suburban Poway, agent John Boggs said. "He was in a tough battle and the thing I can critique is hes definitely in a better place," Boggs said. "He suffered a lot. He battled. Thats probably the best way I can describe his fight against this illness he had, and he was courageous until the end." Gwynns wife, Alicia, and other family members were at his side when he died, Boggs said. Gwynns son, Tony Jr., was with the Philadelphia Phillies, who later placed him on the bereavement list. "Today I lost my Dad, my best friend and my mentor," Gwynn Jr. tweeted. "Im gonna miss u so much pops. Im gonna do everything in my power to continue to ... Make u proud!" Gwynn had two operations for cancer in his right cheek between August 2010 and February 2012. The second surgery was complicated, with surgeons removing a facial nerve because it was intertwined with a tumour inside his right cheek. They grafted a nerve from Gwynns neck to help him eventually regain facial movement. Gwynn had been in and out of the hospital and had spent time in a rehab facility, Boggs said. "For more than 30 years, Tony Gwynn was a source of universal goodwill in the national pastime, and he will be deeply missed by the many people he touched," Commissioner Bud Selig said. Fans paid their respects by visiting the statue of Gwynn on a grassy knoll just beyond the outfield at Petco Park. Gwynn was last with his San Diego State team on March 25 before beginning a leave of absence. His Aztecs rallied around a Gwynn bobblehead doll they would set near the bat rack during games, winning the Mountain West Conference tournament and advancing to the NCAA regionals. Last week, SDSU announced it was extending Gwynns contract one season. The Aztecs play at Tony Gwynn Stadium, which was built in the mid-1990s with a $4 million donation by then-Padres owner John Moores. Gwynn was born in Los Angeles on May 9, 1960, and attended high school in Long Beach. He was a two-sport star at San Diego State in the late 1970s and early 1980s, playing point guard for the basketball team -- he still holds the game, season and career record for assists -- and in the outfield on the baseball team. Gwynn always wanted to play in the NBA, until realizing during his final year at San Diego State that baseball would be the ticket to the pros. He was drafted by both the Padres (third round) and San Diego Clippers (10th round) on the same day in 1981. After spending parts of just two seasons in the minor leagues, he made his big league debut on July 19, 1982. Gwynn had two hits that night. After Gwynn hit a double, all-time hits leader Pete Rose, who been trailing the play, said to him: "Hey, kid, what are you trying to do, catch me in one night?" In a career full of highlights, Gwynn had his 3,000th hit on Aug. 9, 1999, a first-inning single to right field at Montreals Olympic Stadium. Gwynn retired after the 2001 season and became a volunteer assistant coach at SDSU in 2002. He took over as head coach after that season. He and Cal Ripken Jr. -- who spent his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles -- were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007. "I had no idea that all the things in my career were going to happen," Gwynn said shortly before being inducted. "I sure didnt see it. I just know the good Lord blessed me with ability, blessed me with good eyesight and a good pair of hands, and then I worked at the rest." Gwynn also is survived by a daughter, Anisha. Boggs said services were pending. Air Max España Baratas .Under the agreement announced Monday, the Cuban defector is guaranteed $68.5 million over six seasons.Tomas gets a $14 million signing bonus that is payable within 30 days of the deals approval by Major League Baseball, and then salaries of $2 million next year, $4 million in 2016, $6 million in 2017 and $10 million in 2018. Air Max Baratas Outlet . -- When Steve Blake checked in at the scorers table with 5:25 remaining in the third quarter, Stephen Curry shook his head and shouted across the court, asking Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson not to take him out. http://www.airmaxbaratasoutlet.es/ . And, just for good measure, lets say the lottery team finishes the game short-handed because two starters come down with the very same injury.CALGARY -- The Calgary Flames have competition in goal at training camp for the first time in years. The retirement of workhorse Miikka Kiprusoff left a void in net as the Flames prepare for the 2013-14 NHL season. Kiprusoff was Calgarys undisputed No. 1 after backstopping the Flames to the 2004 Stanley Cup final. The softspoken Finn played seven seasons of 70-plus games during his tenure in Calgary and was considered the backbone of the team. There isnt an obvious frontrunner to replace Kiprusoff. The battle to be the Flames starter is expected to be between Joey MacDonald of Pictou, N.S., Karri Ramo of Finland and Swiss native Reto Berra. Laurent Broissoit of Port Alberni, B.C., and another Finnish product, Joni Ortio, round out the five goalies at training camp, but lack the pro experience of the other three. Calgarys camp opened Wednesday with physical testing at the University of Calgary kinesiology lab. The first exhibition game is Saturday at the Saddledome against the Edmonton Oilers. Albertas NHL clubs will split their squads and host games in each city. The Flames open the regular season on the road Oct. 3 against the Washington Capitals. Their home opener is Oct. 6 versus the Vancouver Canucks. The Flames havent reached the playoffs in four seasons. The trading of longtime captain Jarome Iginla last season and the departure of Kiprusoff marks a new era for the hockey club. MacDonald was Kiprusoffs backup after the Flames plucked him off waivers in February. The 33-year-old is the most experienced goalie at camp with 122 NHL games split between Calgary, Detroit, Toronto, New York Islanders and Boston Bruins. MacDonalds record in the lockout-shortened season was 8-9-1 with a goals-against average of 2.87 and a save percentage of .902. "Most years coming to camp, most teams have their clear-cut number one," MacDonald said. "Being in Detroit for so long, you always had an old guy there that you had to battle. This year, its going to be exciting. The opportunity is there and its going to be an exciting team." He started three of Calgarys last four games of the season and signed a one-year contract in April that will pay him $925,000 this season. Ramo, 27, played 48 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning between 2006 and 2009 and also has American Hockey League experience. Hes spent the last four years in Russia in the KHL. "Tampas testing was two days and now its one day so I guess the rules have changedd a little bit," Ramo observed. Nike Air Max Baratas Online. "Now its about showing what you can do." The Flames picked up Ramos rights from the Montreal Canadiens in 2012 in the same deal that returned forward Mike Cammalleri to Calgary. Current Flames general manager Jay Feaster was the GM in Tampa Bay when the Lightning drafted Ramo in the sixth round in 2004. Feaster signed Ramo to a US$5.5-million, two-year contract in July. Kiprusoff is Ramos goaltending hero, although the Finns paths havent crossed much. Ramo has met him, but doesnt know if hell have a chance to ask Kiprusoffs advice about playing in Calgary. "I really looked up to him when I was younger," Ramo said. "He was one of the biggest idols for me. It would be really nice to play with him, but theres not that chance anymore." Berra, 26, fills the net at six foot four and 194 pounds. Calgary gained his rights in the deal that sent defenceman Jay Bouwmeester to St. Louis in April. The Flames then signed Berra to a one-year contract with a base salary of $765,000. All of Berras pro hockey experience has been in the Swiss leagues, so he travelled to the Flames summer development camp in July and returned to North America two weeks ago to learn the smaller ice. "For sure, its a big difference, the ice in Europe and the ice here, but now I think Im good to go," Berra said. "For a goalie its nice because you probably get more shots. "Everything is close to the net and maybe they try to shoot more than anything. I like to have a lot of shots." Berras 29-save shutout lifted Switzerland to a 3-0 win over the United States in the semifinal of this years world championship in Stockholm. "It was pretty big. It was really a good game for me," he recalled. Switzerland went with former NHL veteran Martin Gerber in the final against the host Swedes, who won the gold. Calgarys unsettled goaltending situation will make training camp feel different for the veteran Flames. "That will be an adjustment," Cammalleri admitted. "Thats the first thing that comes to my mind with Miikka. Not many goaltenders have backstopped a franchise that consistently for that long. "I guess it adds to the whole idea of turning the page and new opportunities for different guys. As a team we want to be great defensively and our goaltender is going to be part of that so itll be some healthy competition back there." 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