Sale says he quit chewing tobacco after Tony Gwynn's death

There's no doubt the 2016 All-Star Game in San Diego will have a tie to late Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn.

But as soon as Chicago White Sox lefty Chris Sale was named as the starter for the American League, he didn't waste any time paying tribute to the legend.

Sale said he chewed tobacco from 2007 up until the day Gwynn died on June 16, 2014, when he quit cold turkey.

"He actually made a very big impact on my life," Sale told reporters. "I chewed tobacco from 2007 until the day he passed away. I remember seeing that and just being so shocked. He was a larger than life person. He was an inspiration to the game for many, many people for a lot of different reasons.

"I quit that day and haven't touched it since," he added. "In a sense I owe him a huge, 'Thank you,' not only for myself but for my family. Hopefully, I can sway somebody in the right direction as well like he did for me."

Gwynn's death spurred numerous big leaguers to quit dipping, including Stephen Strasburg and Addison Reed, both alumni of San Diego State, Gwynn's alma mater.

But for Sale, he was watching ESPN when he first heard the news about Gwynn. Ironically enough, he had chewing tobacco in his mouth.

"I literally pulled the dip out of my mouth and tossed away all the cans I had," Sale said.