Sale says Gwynn’s death caused him to quit chewing tobacco
SAN DIEGO — Tony Gwynn will be on everybody’s mind during All-Star Game festivities, perhaps no more poignantly than how his death affected American League starter Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox.
“He actually made a very big impact in my life. I chewed tobacco from 2007 until the day he passed away,” Sale said at a news conference Monday. “I remember seeing that, and just being so shocked. He was a larger-than-life person. He was an inspiration to the game for many, many people for a lot of different reasons. But I quit that day, and I haven’t touched it since.
“In a sense, I owe him a huge thank you for not only myself but for my family and, you know, hopefully I can maybe sway somebody in the right direction as well like he did for me.”
Gwynn died of salivary gland cancer on June 16, 2014, at 54.