SAN DIEGO -- Chris Sale paid tribute to "Mr. Padre" Tony Gwynn during Monday's All-Star Game press conference, admitting Gwynn's death from salivary gland cancer in 2014 was the reason he quit chewing tobacco.
Sale was named the American League's starting pitcher by manager Ned Yost, and made an emotional remark when asked about Gwynn's impact.
"He actually made a very big impact in my life. I remember, I chewed tobacco from 2007 until the day he passed away," Sale said. "And 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.