Fact Check: Did Tony Gwynn die because of his tobacco addiction? Padres legend's battle with cancer explored

Tony Gwynn Sr. was a known legend among the San Diego Padres. He passed away at the age of 54 in 2014.

Tony Gwynn Sr. with his son Tony Gwynn Jr.

Tony Gwynn Sr.'s health problems started in 1997. He had three procedures to remove non-cancerous growth from his parotid gland. However, he was diagnosed with salivary gland cancer in 2010 and had to remove lymph nodes and tumours from the gland. It left his face partially paralyzed and he was unable to smile. However, chemotherapy and radiation treatments declared him cancer free and he regained his ability to smile. He had to undergo surgery again in 2012 to remove more cancerous growth to fix nerve damage.

Gwynn had an addiction to dipping tobacco and often considered it to be the reason for his cancer. However, he could not give the habit up. After his death in 2014, doctors stated that parotid cancer is not linked with chewing tobacco. However, a research published in 1986 journal Head & Neck found that users of smokless tobacco had 11 times the risk of mouth and gum cancers as compared to non-users of tobacco.

Therefore, it can be said that Tony Gwynn Sr. died of cancer. However, it was not necessarily caused by his addiction to smokeless tobacco.

Tony Gwynn's Hall of Fame MLB career

Tony Gwynn Sr. at an event

Tony Gwynn Sr. was one of the best in the business of baseball. Nicknamed "Mr. Padre", he was one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He was a 15-time All-Star and 7-time Silver Slugger Award Winner. He was renowned for his dignity and modesty. He also stayed with the San Diego Padres for his entire career and played in the only two World series appearances in San Diego Padres history.

He notched up a batting average of .338 with 135 home runs. Moreover, he had 3,141 hits to his credit and had 1,138 runs batted in his career. His death was a tragic loss in the world of baseball.