We lived in southern California about the time I started becoming interested in sports.  My older brother always had sports on the TV, which meant a steady stream of Padres, Chargers, and Lakers games playing in the background of my childhood.  And though we moved to Kansas City right as I became old enough to start rooting for a baseball team on my own, one of the first Major League Baseball players I ever became aware of was Tony Gwynn.  I’d say he qualifies as a good introduction to the professional game.