Description
Key to the City of San Diego, presented to Tony Gwynn on August 5, 2001 as a tribute to his profound impact on the city he loved and served throughout his life. Known affectionately as "Mr. Padre," Gwynn spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball career with the San Diego Padres, becoming synonymous with the city. His loyalty was unmatched, as he famously rejected substantial offers from other teams to remain with the Padres and continue contributing to the community.
Before his professional career, Gwynn excelled at San Diego State University, where he played both baseball and basketball. He still holds the school records for most assists in a season and in his career. A fun fact that highlights his precision: Gwynn had more assists at SDSU than strikeouts over his entire 20-year MLB career, a testament to his extraordinary hand-eye coordination.
Gwynn’s contributions to the San Diego community extend beyond the playing field, and his legacy continues to grow. In October 2024, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association introduced the Tony Gwynn Community Service Trophy, honoring student-athletes who embody Gwynn’s commitment to service and volunteerism.
This key is a symbol of the city’s deep gratitude for Gwynn’s dedication, not only as a baseball icon but as a pillar of the San Diego community. With visible signs of glue and scratches, the key reflects the lasting impact Gwynn had on his hometown, a legacy of loyalty, excellence, and service.
This key was obtained from the Gwynn family and validated by TRuEST™ Authentication, ensuring its impeccable provenance and significance.
Dimensions:
10 x 8 x .5
At the time of its use or awarding, this item was not witnessed by a TRuEST™ authenticator. The provenance has been provided by the Tony Gwynn Estate, which is why it has received our Silver authentication.
TRuEST™ Authentication
The Realest™ empowers partners in sports, music, and film with the industry's most advanced authentication and marketplace technology. As forgeries grow more sophisticated with deepfakes and other emerging threats, protecting the integrity of physical memorabilia has never been more critical. Traditional authentication standards carry significant risk, but The Realest™ takes a proactive approach—partnering directly with teams, artists, and studios to source items at the origin.Our multi-layered, witness-based authentication process—TRuEST™—sets a new standard in the industry, backed by a money-back guarantee. TRuEST™ replaces traditional certificates of authenticity with immutable provenance stored on the blockchain, transparently displaying population data, creation dates, and key item details. This information cannot be altered, backdated, or hacked and remains accessible at all times.
Each item is uniquely fingerprinted using our patent-pending covert markings and holographic technologies, including a tamper-resistant OVD hologram. These security measures ensure The Realest™ can verify authenticity with absolute certainty—now and in the future—while detecting any attempts to alter or counterfeit items using undisclosed, cutting-edge security methods.
