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SAN DIEGO -- Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale?paid tribute to late Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn on Monday, saying he quit chewing tobacco when Gwynn died of salivary gland cancer in June 2014 at age 54.He actually made a very big impact in my life. I chewed tobacco from 2007 until the day he passed away, Sale, who was picked as the American League All-Star starter, 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 havent 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 was one of the most beloved figures in San Diego sports history, as well as the face of the Padres for two decades. When he died, he was in his 12th season as coach at his alma mater, San Diego State.The All-Star Game will be played Tuesday night at Petco Park. Gwynn had as much to do as anyone with the downtown ballpark being built. The Hall of Famer played for the Padres his entire 20-year career, retiring after the 2001 season.The ballpark was approved by voters just two weeks after the Padres were swept by the New York Yankees in the 1998 World Series. Gwynn batted .500 in those four games, including hitting a home run off the right-field facade in Yankee Stadium in Game 1 off San Diegan David Wells.Gwynn will always be remembered as the greatest Padres player ever. He never played in Petco Park but there are plenty of reminders of him. Days before Gwynn was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007, the Padres unveiled a larger-than-life bronze statue of him beyond the outfield. It depicts him in the middle of his sweet left-handed swing. One of the streets outside Petco Park is Tony Gwynn Drive. His No. 19 is one of the teams retired numbers that greets fans as they enter the ballpark.Without giving details, the Padres said Gwynn will be honored during pregame ceremonies Tuesday.Gwynns death stunned baseball.Still, there are many happy memories of the former great, who had 3,141 hits, a .338 lifetime average and won eight National League batting titles.Some All-Stars have direct connections to Gwynn.Cole Hamels of the Texas Rangers grew up in San Diego and played at Rancho Bernardo High. Gwynns son, Tony Jr., played at Poway High.Most of my memories of Tony Gwynn are because he lived very close to where I grew up, Hamels said. Being able to see him driving down the street in that Porsche that he had, youd see him go by. Playing against his son, hed go hide out in the outfield to watch his son play because he didnt want to get bothered, and it was kind of cool to know that Tony Gwynn was watching your game, even though he was watching his son. But we always convinced ourselves that Tony Gwynn was there to watch us, too.Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals was an unpolished player at West Hills High in suburban Santee, but he blossomed under Gwynn at San Diego State, becoming the first overall pick in the 2009 draft.Strasburg recalled Gwynn as one of the greatest hitters of all time, No. 1, but one of the greatest people of all time, as well. I grew up a huge Tony Gwynn fan being here. Playing for him, I got a chance to develop that relationship with him. I learned a lot, how to be not only the best baseball player, to be a real pro, but also to be, hopefully, a good human being.The Associated Press contributed to this report.Vapormax Sandals Cheap . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. Cheap Nike Vapormax Run Utility . The news was first reported on Gonzalezs Twitter account and confirmed by the Rockies. Gonzalez has a six-week window before position players have their first workout at spring training in Arizona. http://www.vapormaxcheapoutlet.com/clearance-vapormax-plus.html . -- Aldon Smith believes he is on the path to being sober for good. Vapormax 2019 Cheap . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. Vapormax Plus Grape For Sale . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. SAN ANTONIO -- Tony Parker made good on his pledge before Game 4 of the NBA Finals: He was ready to go. He just didnt have it in him to finish. What began as a spectacular, told-you-so performance from the All-Star point guard ended with a scoreless second half and second-guessing about his strained right hamstring, which Parker said gradually sapped his strength as the San Antonio Spurs lost to the resurgent Miami Heat 109-93 on Thursday night. Parker, who repeatedly declared "Ill be ready to go" to questions about his health before Game 4, said afterward he "definitely got fatigued" in the second half. Thats when Parker took only four shots and made none. It was an abrupt reversal after a brilliant first half, when Parker looked like the NBAs best point guard -- just as he did at the start of the series. By the end, he settled for 15 points and nine assists in Game 4. "It was kind of weak. I didnt know what to expect," Parker said. "So the first three, four minutes I was kind of testing it, and the first half it felt OK. And the second half I think I got fatigued a little bit." Then he threw in a silver lining. "Overall Im just happy I didnt make it worse," he said. The series is tied 2-all heading into the final home game for San Antonio on Sunday night. Parker said hell be OK to play after packing the next two off days with treatment, but the Spurs might need him to be spectacular again to win a fifth championship. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said health wasnt Parkers problem. "Miami did a great job on him," Popovich said. "They doubled. They got it out of his hands and other people had to play." Parker shot 7 of 16 and reached the foul line just three times. It was a sudden disappearing act after scoring or assisting on 12 of San Antonios first 16 field goals. Despite the lingering problems from his hamstring, Parker didnt make it obvious. He played 31 minutes and well intto the fourth quarter before the Spurs emptied their bench as the Heat pulled away.dddddddddddd. Parker was hurt in the second half of Game 3, and an MRI taken Wednesday revealed a Grade 1 strain. Thats the mildest level, but Parker wouldnt commit to playing Thursday night until the morning shootaround. The way he started the game, it appeared all the concern about his hamstring was silly. He shot 58 per cent in the first half, and had already outscored his listless performances in Games 2 and 3. Miami stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade had rebounded, too, making this series a thrilling matchup of dueling superstars again. But while James and Wade kept bulldozing the Spurs in the second half, Parker couldnt keep up. "They are doing the same thing on me since the beginning," Parker said of the Heat. "Very aggressive on pick-and-rolls, stuff like that. I missed easy shots, and hopefully Ill get more healthy and better by Sunday." Parker didnt have his supporting cast in the backcourt to bail him out this time, either. Danny Green and Gary Neal, who lit up the Heat in a Game 3 blowout, combined for 23 points -- less than half their output the last time out. One big reason: Miami didnt let the Spurs have their way from 3-point range again. Whereas Neal and Green combined to make 13 of San Antonios Finals-record 16 shots from behind the arc in Game 3, the Spurs totalled only 16 tries from long range as an encore. That was half the number of 3s that San Antonio launched Tuesday night. Green said he expected the Heat to chase them more aggressively off the 3-point line this time. Spurs forward Tim Duncan also gave the Heat credit -- for doing as much to limit Parker as his injury. "Hes played with injuries all year long, minor injuries all year long, and I had no doubt that he would be there and be ready to play," Duncan said. "And he played well. As I said, give credit to Miami in the second half." ' ' '