Washington Nationals superstar Stephen Strasburg said he would quit dipping after Tony Gwynn, the legendary Padres superstar who coached him at San Diego State, died last week so he can stay around for his daughter.
“I think it’s a disgusting habit, looking back on it,” he told MLB.com. “I was pretty naive when I started. Just doing it here and there, I didn’t think it was going to be such an addiction. … Bottom line is, I want to be around for my family. This is something that can affect people the rest of your life. [Chewing tobacco is] so prevalent in this game. It’s something we all kind of grew up doing.”
According to MLB.com, “Gwynn, the Hall of Famer who coached at San Diego State, believed chewing tobacco was the reason he developed salivary gland cancer,” and “Strasburg, who was chewing tobacco while discussing the subject on Monday, said he started chewing tobacco long before he started playing for Gwynn, and that he didn’t know the former Padres icon dipped.”
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