|
Sale, the American League's starting pitcher for Tuesday
night's MLB All-Star Game at Petco Park in San Diego, credited
the San Diego Padres legend, nicknamed "Mr. Padre," with helping
him reverse a seven-year-old habit.
"He actually made a very big impact in my life. I chewed tobacco
from 2007 until the day he passed away," Sale told reporters
during Monday's All-Star media day in San Diego (via ESPN.com).
Gwynn spent his entire 20-year career in San Diego, winning
eight National League batting titles and earning 15 All-Star
selections.
He had a lifetime .338 batting average and 3,141 career hits.
Gwynn was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007 before his
death seven years later at age 54.
"He was a larger-than-life person," Sale said. "He was an
inspiration to the game for many, many people for a lot of
different reasons. But I quit that day, and I haven't touched it
since."
"In a sense, I owe him a huge thank you for not only myself but
for my family, and, you know, hopefully I can maybe sway
somebody in the right direction as well like he did for me."
Sale, 27, is 14-3 with a 3.38 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 18
starts with the White Sox this season.
-----------------------------------------------
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
