Gwynn

	Henderson

LOS ANGELES – Tony Gwynn and Rickey Henderson were set to make history Friday night because of their ages -- instead of their bats and gloves.

The future Hall of Famers were to become the first teammates in their 40s to play in the same major league outfield since Doc Cramer and Chuck Hostetler of the 1945 Detroit Tigers.

"We may not be kids to a lot of these baseball players, but we're still kids to a lot of people," the 42-year-old Henderson said with a laugh before the Padres played the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Gwynn injures hamstring

LOS ANGELES – San Diego Padres star Tony Gwynn left Friday night's game with a strained right hamstring after hurting himself running the bases against the Los Angeles Dodgers. With the Padres leading Kevin Brown 1-0, Gwynn led off the sixth inning and lined a hit down the left-field line. As Gary Sheffield retrieved the ball in foul territory, Gwynn eased up rounding first base because of the injury. Gwynn tried to make it to second base and was thrown out. Team trainers told Gwynn that he mighty not play for at least 10 days. The 15-time All-Star, who was limited to just 36 games last season after undergoing surgery on his left knee. "I don't know what they have planned," Gwynn said. "In this day and age, you've got to have bodies, and I understand that. It's better now than it was when I came in here. But the way this business works, they'll probably put me on the DL."

Henderson, playing left field, batted leadoff. Gwynn, 40, played right and batted second.

Together, they were the newest members of a different kind of 40-40 club.

"I think me and Tony are just trying to continue playing as long as we feel good enough to go out there. I don't think age really has anything to do with it. It's just a different era nowadays. People are living longer and people are much stronger and healthier," Henderson said.

Gwynn made his big-league debut on July 19, 1982, and has no thoughts of retirement in the foreseeable future. In fact, he's hungrier than ever to keep going after knee surgery limited him to just 36 games last season.

"People are surprised we're still here. They probably didn't think we'd be here, but here we are," said Gwynn, only of only four players to play at least 20 seasons and spend their entire major league career with one team. "I think, more than anything else, it's a credit to both of us wanting to be here and wanting to play. We just love what we do.

"In my case, after having a year like I had last year, I missed not being out there and not having an opportunity to face Kevin Brown, or whoever. The challenge is still there, the adrenaline still flows."

Gwynn, a 15-time All-Star, eight-time NL batting champ and five-time Gold Glove winner, joined the 3,000-hit club in 1999. Henderson is 86 hits away from that select group.

"I could have had 3,000 hits already if I hadn't taken 8,000 pitches, too," said Henderson, who was two walks shy of tying Babe Ruth's career record of 2,062.

"The 3,000 hits was never really my concern. I wasn't big into hits. I was big into getting on base. So I never thought I'd get an opportunity to get 3,000 hits, but the longevity has given me that chance."

The 10-time All-Star and baseball's career stolen base leader, needs to score 68 runs to break Ty Cobb's record.

But Henderson has made nine trips to the disabled list in his career during his 23-year career, totaling 192 days -- slightly more than six full months.

"Being healthy and staying away from the major injuries and keeping myself in shape has been a big key," he said. "It's based on what you want to accomplish in this game. That's the way we approach it."