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6-26-2007 By ERIC AHLQVIST Editor Frank Vito is one such fan. Vito grew up in Long Island a New York Yankees fan, but when his favorite player, Graig Nettles, was traded to the San Diego Padres, he switched allegiances. "It all started with Nettles, but then Gwynn was on that team and he became my favorite player," said Vito, a former research assistant at the Hall of Fame who now teaches U.S. History at Delhi High School. "I thought it was cool that he didn't try to hit home runs, and hit for average and was always on base. I could relate with that type of player." Gwynn played his entire 20-year career with the Padres, and said during a conference call on Friday that being the face of the franchise was the ultimate thrill for him. "The fact that people enjoyed the way I played and will always associate me with the Padres is something I'm very proud of," Gwynn said. "The fans will be with me on Sunday when I make my speech." Vito attended the Hall of Fame Game in 1999 when Gwynn and the Padres played the Dodgers at Doubleday Field. "Tony was signing autographs before the game and saw that I had a Padres hat on and agreed to sign it," Vito said. "It's one of my prized possessions." Vito also traveled to Montreal with other Hall of Fame staff members on Aug. 6, 1999 to witness first hand Gwynn's 3,000th hit against the Expos. Vito said he was torn when the Padres and New York Yankees met in the 1998 World Series, but rooted for the Padres because of Gwynn. The Yankees swept the Series in four straight games, but Gwynn hit .500 (8-16) including a home run. Gwynn's Padres also lost to the Tigers in five games in the 1984 Fall Classic. This weekend, Vito hopes to get a chance to talk with Gwynn when he serves as a driver for the Hall of Fame. "I'm hoping maybe I get to pick him up at the airport in Albany, and have a chance to talk to him the whole way back," Vito said. "That would really be a dream come true." Baseball Hall of Fame Librarian Jim Gates lived in Maryland in the late 1960s and early 1070s when the Orioles were a powerhouse team, and is still a big fan of the team today. He said in addition to Ripken, he had a chance to meet former Orioles Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray and Paul Blair during the course of his job at the Hall. "It kind of comes under the responsibilities of the job, which is kind of neat," Gates said. "I had fun speaking with Ripken about the longest game when he was with Rochester." Baseball's famous "Longest Game" between the Rochester Red Wings and the Pawtucket Red Sox lasted a record 33 innings and took more than eight hours to complete. The game began on April 18, 1981, and the teams played until after 4 a.m. before the game was suspended and resumed on June 23 with Pawtucket winning, 3-2. Ripken was 2-13 in the game, and, of course, played in all 33 innings. Said Gates: "It's kind of fitting that the Iron man played in the longest game in baseball history." |
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