The countdown goes on and he can’t wait for the day to get here. Tony Gwynn stands behind the batting cage and looks out at the countdown sign in the Padres’ home park as it ticks off the days until San Diego’s former star will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“I check that sign every day,” Gwynn says with a smile. “Sometimes all the activities I’m involved in leading up to the day just get to be too much.”

He wouldn’t have it any other way. This is a man proud of his time in baseball and respectful of the game and the Hall of Fame that represents it. So what does he worry about while he waits for that day?

“Who’s going to speak first,” that’s what I think about,” says Gwynn. “Cal [Ripkin] or me,” he laughs.

“We had our pre-induction tour of the Hall and they told us what would be going on, but they didn’t tell us who would go first,” he says. “I’m going to start begging that they let me go first.”

“I can’t imagine having to follow Cal. He’ll read this great speech and I’m no speech maker,” says Gwynn. “Man, they have to let me go first.”

He is laughing all the while he says this, but he does want ahead of Cal in this one.

“I’ll have my notes,” he says, “but I’ll just speak from the heart. That’s who I am.”

The Red Sox are in San Diego this weekend for interleague play and there was another honor for Gwynn on Friday night.

The Padres wore their 1982 uniforms in recognition of Gwynn’s 1982 MLB debut.

The Sox wore their 1982 road uniforms to honor Gwynn.

Those kinds of activities have been happening across the country for Gwynn, a shy man who does not wish to stand out despite the fact that is exactly what he did for his entire baseball career.

He and Cal Ripkin enter the Hall together with the unique status of both having played for their respective teams [Padres and Orioles] for their entire careers.

More amazing is the entrant into the broadcast wing of the Hall is Denny Matthews from the Royals and the writers’ wing inductee is Rick Hummel from the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Both of them have spent their entire careers covering the same team.

When I said that to Gwynn, he responded, “Wow, I didn’t know that. That is really unusual and probably will not happen again.”

He is probably right. With players, not to mention broadcasters and writers, moving from city to city, the likelihood of such an occurrence as this is against long odds.

For now, Gwynn will watch the countdown board and anxiously wait to see who leads off at the Hall of Fame.

Either way, he will be a hit and enhance the Hall’s stature. This is a good man who had a great career. Just as his passion for the game shined in his play, his love of the game will shine through his speech.

Old Town native Gary Thorne is an ESPN and ABC sportscaster.