Major League Baseball

Baseball world honors Gwynn, rallies around Padres (VIDEO)

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:56 p.m. ET

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UPDATE (12:30 a.m. ET):

The reaction around baseball to Tony Gwynn’s death was swift on Monday morning, with players, coaches, fans, announcers — even MLB itself — taking to social media to share their condolences and memories of "Mr. Padre," and to announce tributes to the Hall of Famer and Padres great.

And as day turned to night, focus shifted from Twitter and Facebook to dugouts and baseball fields — and there the tributes continued, from fields in Detroit and Seattle to outside Petco Park in San Diego.

Even the announcer's booth at Dodger Stadium of all places was filled with emotion, as fellow Hall of Famer and perhaps Gwynn's biggest fan outside of San Diego, Dodgers announcer Vin Scully, remembered his friend as only Vinny can.

Then the rest of Dodger Stadium joined Scully:

In Detroit, the Tigers paid tribute to Gwynn and his famed “5.5 hole” — the spot between shortstop and third base through which so many of his 3,141 hits traveled — etched into the appropriate spot on the infield dirt:

Back in Gwynn’s home of San Diego, fan came out to their hero’s statue at the Padres’ home park to pay their respects:

Fans gather at the Tony Gwynn 'Mr. Padre' statue outside Petco Park after learning of the Hall of Famer's death on Monday.

A Tony Gwynn fan leaves this baseball at Gwynn's statue outside Petco Park. Gwynn wore No. 19 with the Padres.

But nowhere were the remembrances more emotional than at Safeco Field in Seattle, where the Padres took the field against the Mariners.

Prior to Monday's game between the Padres and host Mariners, the grounds crew at Safeco Field in Seattle etched Gwynn's No. 19 into the infield between third base and shortstop, the '5.5 hole' through which Gwynn got so many of his hits.

A young fan at Safeco Field holds up a sign remembering Gwynn on Monday night.

Members of the San Diego Padres observe a moment of silence in remembrance of Gwynn prior to Monday's game in Seattle.

Above all else, Tony Gwynn was known for three things — hitting, San Diego and that laugh. And it was because of all three that Gwynn carved out a Hall of Fame career, being known by many as the greatest hitter since Ted Williams, garnering the nickname "Mr. Padre," and earning the respect and love of baseball fans around the country.

As news of his death at age 54 after a battle with cancer made its way through social media on Monday morning, the reaction and tributes were just as swift:

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