Tony Gwynn is as good as any hitter that baseball has ever seen. He could not match the power of Ted Williams, who is supposed to be the greatest hitter who ever lived. But there was nobody better than Gwynn at getting a base hit.

Gwynn's only shortcoming has been a lack of home run and RBI production. He only hit more than 10 home runs five times and exceeded 100 RBI only once during his 20-year career. However, Gwynn did hit over .300 for a NL-record 18 straight seasons, a truly amazing feat.

Gwynn was a complete ballplayer, not just a hitter. He was a fine right fielder, winning five Gold Gloves, and also ran the bases well, stealing as many as 56 in one season. Gwynn's problems, however, came at the end of his career. Physically, he was too big and kept getting injured, just like he is now. He has only played 52 games over the last two seasons and hasn't played more than 127 games since 1997.

SUNDAY NIGHT BASEBALL

NY Mets at Atlanta 8 p.m. ET, ESPN Play-by-play: Jon Miller Analyst: Joe Morgan What should fans expect from "ESPN K Zone"? Jed Drake, senior vice president of ESPN's remote production, and Sportvision came up with the concept of "ESPN K Zone," which debuts Sunday night and will show the boundaries of the strike zone in 3-D. I've seen it and helped the production team perfect it. We did a test a few weeks ago in Boston to finalize the look and the way it should be done. "ESPN K Zone" will be great for the fans and help them understand the strike zone. Most people base a strike on where the catcher catches the ball. The strike zone starts where the ball crosses the front of the plate. With "ESPN K Zone," we will be able to explain and show the strike zone more clearly. We need to be careful, though, to make sure the technology enhances the viewing of the game instead of taking away from it.

He never had the prototype body for a hitter, especially one who hits singles. But Gwynn still became a hitting icon. He's completely different from any hitter I have ever seen. He swings a very light 32-inch bat and hits with his hands, allowing him to stay back and wait on pitches. Players who hit with their hands don't hit for power, which is why Gwynn hit few home runs. He never used his body to drive the ball.

Everyone knows Gwynn is a student of hitting. But his excellent hand-eye coordination was the main reason he succeeded as a hitter. A lot of hitters study videotapes, some as much as Gwynn. However, they aren't able to execute on the field what they have learned from the tapes.

To become a great hitter, a player must know his weaknesses as well as his strengths. Gwynn was able to learn what pitches he couldn't handle well and stayed away from them. For instance, you never saw Gwynn swing at a high fastball or a ball bouncing in the dirt. He always looked for pitches within his zone. If other hitters did the same thing, they would hit for a higher average. But it's not easy to be as disciplined a hitter as Gwynn.

Even though Gwynn played his entire career in a small media market, he still got enough exposure outside of San Diego as a great player. It's hard to ignore eight batting titles. He just never won any championships. He may have been viewed differently if the Padres had won the World Series in either 1984 or 1998.

Gwynn has been a model citizen throughout his career. He could have left San Diego, his lifetime home, but he never wanted to leave. The people in San Diego love him, and Gwynn has never done anything to damage his reputation. He has always been a class act.

In five years Gwynn, like Cal Ripken, should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I read a story saying both Gwynn and Ripken should be unanimous selections, but I disagree. If Willie Mays, the greatest player ever, and Hank Aaron, the all-time home-run king, were not unanimous Hall selections, nobody else should be.

What do you think about the Yankees getting Gerald Williams back?
I have always liked Williams as a player and think he is a good addition to the Yankees. He is a very aggressive hitter who plays hard and can run. Even though he is not a prototype leadoff hitter because he doesn't walk much, Williams can make things happen.

He was voted the Tampa Bay Devils' MVP last season, when he had career highs in home runs and RBI, but they still released him after he hit .207 in 62 games this year. Other than his production, I suppose the Devil Rays cut him because he was close to getting a guaranteed $4 million for next season. The same thing happened to Tony Batista, who is now in Baltimore. The Blue Jays released Batista even though he hit 41 home runs last year.

With the signing of Williams, the Yankees have to move someone else. No deal has been consummated, but there has been talk about the Yankees trading Chuck Knoblauch to Seattle. But what would Seattle want with Knoblauch? Where will he play? How would he fit into Seattle's scheme?

He would not be the leadoff hitter; the Mariners already have Ichiro. They already have the AL's best second baseman, Bret Boone. I guess the Mariners figure Knoblauch could play left field, but he's hitting only .255 with a low on-base percentage and no power. Mark McLemore should be getting most of the playing time in left field. He's hitting .298 and getting on base more. Everybody puts too much emphasis on Knoblauch.

Would the selection of David Bell hurt the All-Star voting process?
Bell wouldn't be the first undeserving player voted onto the All-Star team as a starter. That's what happens when the fans vote. Seattle is drawing more fans than any team, so the Mariners players are getting more votes. Teams that draw the most fans get more players in the All-Star Game. Just about every Mariner who has played well is close in the All-Star voting. Bell is not an aberration, and I don't think his selection would be a big deal.

Playing for the best team in baseball helps Bell's cause. It would partly explain any votes he is receiving out of Seattle. Plus, there are very few third basemen to choose from. Troy Glaus and Scott Brosius have better statistics than Bell, who is hitting only .253 with seven home runs and 37 RBI. But Bell has played better the last two weeks, hitting .340 with 11 RBI in his last 15 games.

What has been the key to the Atlanta Braves' resurgence?
The pitching has stabilized during their current seven-game winning streak. The Braves haven't allowed more than four runs in any of the past seven games. About a month ago, the Braves were eight games behind, and now they are tied with Philadelphia for first place in the NL East because the pitching has taken over. The Braves still have the best starting pitching in the league.

Although the Braves have scored more runs lately, the offense still needs an additional spark. Chipper Jones is the key to the offense, but someone has to help him produce runs. If he gets help, the Braves will score more runs. They will struggle if he has to provide all the power and carry the offensive load.

The Braves should be favored to win the NL East. The Phillies are a young team with much promise, but down the stretch a veteran team like Atlanta will usually beat out a young team. There is a lot to like about the Phillies, but we will have to wait and see how the division plays out.

Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan is an analyst for ESPN.