Tony Gwynn

When deciding which athletes to profile, our editors take into account not only a player's statistics, but also his character. SPI takes care to select athletes who are known to be community minded and can serve as role models.

The biographical material on each athlete covers him from his earliest days to the present.

Rob Rains is the author or co-author of nine sports books, including "Mark McGwire: Home Run Hero" for St. Martin's Press. He also wrote "The St. Louis Cardinals: The 100th Anniversary History," as well as co-authored "Red: A Baseball Life" with Cardinal Hall of Famer, Red Schoendienst, and "Jack Buck: That's a Winner!" with broadcaster Jack Buck. A frequent contributor to "The Sporting News," Rains lives with his family in St. Louis.