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MLB Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, at 54

He had a four-year battle with salivary gland cancer. This piece came out in the Philadelphia media (his son plays in the Phillies' system) yesterday, and may or may not have served as an intentional in-advance obituary and tribute, as he obviously died only hours later. It's a great piece and if you remotely remember Gwynn as a ballplayer, I recommend it highly.

Here's a lengthy ESPN piece from a couple of years ago on his battle with the cancer, likely caused by frequent use of smokeless tobacco, which has been banned in the NCAA and minor leagues, but not the major leagues yet. This should likely tip the scales.

Well, that sucks. I was a big fan of Gwynn. He absolutely trashed Maddux and Glavine back in the 90s; pinpoint control doesn't mean much if the batter's also got it.

Warhol Superstar Ultra Violet.

Much of her recent work had dealt with Sept. 11, using the Roman numerals IX and XI as a graphic palindrome, and with the iconography of Mickey Mouse, whom she often depicted wearing angel wings.

jbeall wrote:Well, that sucks. I was a big fan of Gwynn. He absolutely trashed Maddux and Glavine back in the 90s; pinpoint control doesn't mean much if the batter's also got it.

Deadspin commenter wrote:How good was he?

Tony Gwynn faced Pedro Martinez 36 times and never struck out. He faced Greg Maddux 107 times and never struck out.

I think the media was dead on when Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn went in to the Hall. Portraying them as the end of a particular kind of era and ballplayer definitely doesn't seem far-fetched. Never the flashiest guys, but they went out every day and always contributed. His struggles with cancer the last few years were surely depressing, and it's a shock he's gone.

Sam Kelly, an actor most famous for his comic supporting roles in UK comedy series Porridge and 'Allo 'Allo. In terms of films he was in a couple of the later 1970s Carry Ons (Carry On Dick and Carry on Behind), the film of Porridge, the Michael Caine/Sean Young thriller Blue Ice, and turned up in a number of Mike Leigh's films, TV productions and plays, particularly Topsy-Turvy, All or Nothing and most recently Mr Turner.

Daniel Keyes, author of short story and later novel Flowers for Algernon, adapted several times, most notably in 1968 as Charly.

I honestly had no idea he was still alive. His composition "Quicksilver" on the Art Blakey and the Messengers Live at Birdland album is one of my favorite jazz tunes ever.

I read his autobiography last year, Let's Get To The Nitty Gritty.
Turned me on to his mentor Herman Chittison.
Silver had a funky soulful style.
Formed the original Jazz Messenger with Art Blakey.
Doodlin' and Song for My Father are probably his two best known compositions.

Gerry Goffin.

Peter de Rome.

The always interesting and insightful notcoming.com site which featured Matt and Rumz amongst its major contributors.

Małgorzata Braunek, actress (Jerzy Kawalerowicz's The Game, Andrzeh Wajda's Hunting Flies and Landscape After Battle, Andrzej Żuławski's The Third Part of the Night and The Devil), and former wife of Żuławski. Their stormy divorce is allegedly one of the inspirations for Possession, although in real life the ten-year-old boy grew up to be director Xawery Żuławski.

Damn, one of the greats (though he managed to last a really long time). Everyone go watch Baby Doll again, or for the first time

No!! Just watched Godfather III for the first time last night and puzzled as to why we weren't throwing him role after role while we still had him around. He had such a great run. RIP

Robert Gardner.

Jacques Bergerac.

Bobby Womack
His great soundtrack for Across 110th Street will be heard anew on the forthcoming Blu-ray.

Gregory wrote:Bobby Womack
His great soundtrack for Across 110th Street will be heard anew on the forthcoming Blu-ray.

That's a huge loss. All of his albums through Lookin' For A Love Again are great. Especially Communication.

He was also all over the last couple of Gorillaz albums - Bobby In Phoenix from The Fall; and on the Plastic Beach alblum, particularly its penultimate track Cloud of Unknowing.