Gwynn's sweet left-handed swing made him one of San Diego's best-loved athletes. He was nicknamed ''Mr. Padre'' during his 20-year major league career.
''For more than 30 years, Tony Gwynn was a source of universal goodwill in the national pastime, and he will be deeply missed by the many people he touched,'' Commissioner Bud Selig said.
Gwynn had been on a medical leave from his job as baseball coach at San Diego State, his alma mater, since late March. Agent John Boggs said Gwynn died Monday at a hospital in suburban Poway.
Gwynn had two operations for cancer in his right cheek between August 2010 and February 2012. The second surgery was complicated, with surgeons removing a facial nerve because it was intertwined with a tumor inside his right cheek. They grafted a nerve from Gwynn's neck to help him eventually regain facial movement.
Gwynn had said that he believed the cancer was from chewing tobacco.
