By SDCN Editor
San Diego, CA–A mural of two San Diego baseball icons was unveiled Tuesday at Hoover High School. With the message ‘United by Sport,’ the mural depicts Hall of Famers Ted Williams, a Hoover High School alum, and Padres great Tony Gwynn.
Although they were generations apart, the two men developed a friendship through their love of baseball.
District leaders joined representatives from the San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox, artist Jonny Pucci who created the mural, and friends and family members of Tony Gwynn, at the unveiling to reflect on the relationship between the men and the larger role sports can play in social change.
The mural, 16 feet wide by 8 feet high, is featured prominently just steps from Hoover’s Ted Williams Field where the famous alum once played ball.
In his 1966 Hall of Fame acceptance speech, Williams used the opportunity to advocate for the inclusion of Negro League players into baseball’s highest honor. During his playing career, Williams was one of the first Major League players to call for its integration, which didn’t happen until 1947. Williams was one of Tony Gwynn’s heroes, and later, a friend.
“Sports provide the opportunity to learn incredibly valuable life lessons,” said San Diego Unified Board President Dr. Sharon Whitehurst-Payne. “They also allow you to develop lifelong friendships through a common bond. This mural wonderfully captures that essence between two men from different generations and different backgrounds.”
The mural is a bond-funded project from San Diego Unified. Artist Jonny Pucci is a San Diego local who has created works related to the American civil rights movement and other historic moments across the world.
The mural was created by Disorganized Depictions, an agency focused on creating social impact through large-scale murals that also works with schools to teach students how to paint murals and learn real-world career skills including sales, marketing, and design.
To help mark the mural’s unveiling, the San Diego Padres provided free tickets for each player and coach from Hoover High’s baseball and softball teams. They were invited to Monday night’s game against the New York Mets at Petco Park.