Tony Gwynn's family sues tobacco industry over his death

The family of San Diego Padres icon Tony Gwynn filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the tobacco industry Monday. The suit claims that Gwynn was induced into his addiction to smokeless tobacco that ultimately killed him.

According to the suit, Gwynn began using smokeless tobacco as a 17-year-old freshman at San Diego State. He died of oral cancer in 2014 at the age of 54.

The suit alleges that Gwynn used one-and-a-half to two cans of smokeless tobacco per day, dipping immediately after he woke up and sometimes he would fall asleep with the tobacco in his right lip and cheek area.

Defendants include Altria Group Corp., the parent company of Philip Morris and US Smokeless Tobacco Co. LLC. Gwynn's widow and two children are named as plaintiffs.

"The tobacco companies were using his addiction to turn him into their ultimate walking billboard," former major leaguer Tony Gwynn Jr. said, via the New York Times, of his father's addiction. "He never knew it, but they were using him to promote their dip to the next generation of kids and fans who idolized him."

Gwynn, an eight-time batting champion, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. One of the best pure hitters in baseball history, he finished with career with a .338 career batting average and 3,141 career hits.

The suit, which was filed in Superior Court in San Diego, seeks unspecified damages.