That wasn't the reason. The surgeons and doctors who were working on him said it had nothing to do with tobacco
wow, i was always amazed by his memory as much as his swing. he would talk about at-bats as if they just happened and they would be from his rookie year. just an absolute professional. r.i.p.
I also heard it wasn't tobacco related but he had salivary gland cancer so you do the math. I just wikipedia'd this, I had no idea he had so many medical issues, pretty sad: Gwynn had three procedures to remove noncancerous growths from his parotid gland since 1997. In 2010 he was diagnosed with cancer of a salivary gland and had lymph nodes and tumors from the gland removed.[140][141][142] The operation left his face partially paralyzed on the right side, leaving him unable to smile.[143] Later that year, he underwent eight weeks of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.[142] He was declared cancer free afterwards, and also regained his ability to smile.[143] Additional surgery was performed in 2012 to remove more cancerous growth and address nerve damage.[142] Gwynn attributed the cancer to the dipping tobacco habit that he had since playing rookie ball in Walla Walla in 1981.[143] Doctors, however, stated that studies had not linked parotid cancer with use of chewing tobacco.[140][142][143] After his playing career ended, Gwynn's weight peaked at 330 pounds (150 kg), and he underwent adjustable gastric banding surgery in 2009 in an attempt to lose weight. He did not closely adhere to the diet, and his weight loss began to stall. His weight problem led to a slipped disc in his back that affected a nerve down his leg in 2010. He needed a walker before he had the damaged disc removed to cure the pain while walking. Later, he experienced a loss of taste for food during radiation therapy for his cancer, and while being limited to a liquid diet, he lost 80 pounds (36 kg), all of which he regained after he resumed eating solid foods.[144] During another round of cancer treatments in April 2014, a mishap occurred in which Gwynn lost oxygen and was barely able to move. He was sent to rehabilitation to learn how to walk again.[70] On June 16, 2014, Gwynn died at Pomerado Hospital in Poway due to complications from his cancer. He was 54 years old.[112][110][145] His heart had stopped the night before on Father's Day, when paramedics were called, and he was rushed from his home to the hospital.[69][110]
You're not gonna find it online. I heard this from friends calling in to talk about his life on ESPN. It was a comment the doctor made when he was diagnosed. Tony always believed it was because of tobacco, but according to his best friend, the doctor said it was not the cause.
Watching the Dodgers/Padres game on MLB and Vin Scully is talking about Tony Gwynn. Sad R.I.P. to a great one and a great guy...
A friend sent me a tweet about Tony Gwynn the other day. He faced Greg Maddux & Pedro Martinez 143 times and hit .388 whilst never striking out against either. He was a rare breed for his era but his lack of striking out is absolutely remarkable compared to today's hitters. I wish I saw him play more. I don't think he ever gets the recognition he deserves as one of the all-time great hitter he was due to the fact that he was usually on bum ass teams minus the '96 team that went to the World Series. In the strike shortened season he hit .394 and struck out only 19 times. Miguel Sano, Mike Trout and Bryce Harper all already have more career strikeouts than Gwynn did. He struck out 434 times for his career. Harper struck out 449 times in his first four years. Trout 459 in his first three full seasons starting. Sano is at 444 and counting in his first three full years starting. Remarkable.