Modern Monday - face of the franchise

There's no doubt that Tony Gwynn is the face of the San Diego Padres franchise. He is "Mr Padre" after all. Here's a couple of recent cards that confirm his status. 

Card number 498: Topps (Franchise Feats insert), 2019; #FF-23

I have to admit, reading those "feats" feels a bit underwhelming. Although they are currently the only Major League franchise still in San Diego, the Padres used to be one of three. Both the Clippers, who drafted Tony out of college the same day he was drafted by the Padres, and the Chargers, who shared occupancy of Jack Murphy Stadium the entire duration of the Padres' 24 years located there, have both moved to LA now. (In fact, Jack Murphy Stadium is still the only stadium to host a Super Bowl and a World Series in the same year: 1998.)

The other Padre to win a batting title was Gary Sheffield. No Padre has been a batting title contender since Tony's final title in 1997. The Padres have won two divisional titles since Tony retired.

As it's a 2019 card, I suppose having Manny Machado's transfer from that year on it makes sense. It's a bit of a dull feat, though.

Trevor Hoffman has been inducted to the Hall of Fame since I visited it in 2016. But I saw Dave Winfield's plaque along with Tony's in the hall.

Card Number 499: Topps Chrome Update (Greatest Seasons insert), 2019; 150C-24

In 2019, Topps celebrated 150 years of professional baseball with this series that featured 25 legends of the game.

Even though this card is in an insert series about "Greatest Seasons", the write up on the back doesn't mention a specific season. 

It's a nice card though.

Total: 499 cards