Tony Gwynn’s initial reaction when the Padres selected him in the third round of the 1981 major league draft was not a pleasant one.
“The first words out of my mouth were, ‘Aw, (bleep). The Padres. That damn brown and gold,’ ” Gwynn said in an interview late in his career.
Within moments, Gwynn had a second thought cross his mind: “You know, they’re letting a lot of young players play there. I thought I might have a chance to move up real quickly.”
He was right.
Gwynn’s rapid rise through the minor leagues — from Single-A Walla Walla (batting .