Tony Gwynn won eight National League batting titles during his Hall of Fame career.

In 1989, Will Clark nearly prevented him from winning one of them.

Clark, the San Francisco Giants' hard-hitting first baseman, was enjoying the finest season of his young career. He was hitting for average, driving in runs and helping lead the Giants toward their first division championship since 1987.

But as the regular season approached its conclusion, Clark found himself in an unexpected position.

He was challenging Gwynn, already a three-time batting champion, for the National League batting title.

And the race would come down to the final day of the season.

According to Scott Miller of the Los Angeles Times, Clark entered the Giants' season-ending series against the San Diego Padres with a .333 batting average, narrowly ahead of Gwynn's .332.

The circumstances couldn't have been more interesting.

The Giants had already clinched the National League West title, while the Padres were preparing for the offseason. Yet the two teams had something worth playing for during their final three games.

For Clark, it was an opportunity to win his first batting championship. For Gwynn, it was a chance to become the first National League player since Stan Musial from 1950 through 1952 to win three consecutive batting titles.

Clark had established himself as one of baseball's premier young power hitters during his first three seasons. He hit 35 home runs in 1987 and led the National League with 109 RBIs in 1988.

But 1989 was different.

Clark was demonstrating that his offensive abilities extended well beyond hitting home runs.

Clark batted .375 in April, .351 in May and .352 in August. He also hit .325 at home and .341 on the road.

His consistency had placed him alongside one of the greatest contact hitters in baseball history.

Gwynn, meanwhile, was determined to defend his title.

The Padres outfielder went 3-4 on September 30, pulling nearly even with Clark entering the season finale.

The two were separated by less than one-thousandth of a point.

As Miller explained, Clark carried a narrow lead into the final game, but Gwynn quickly erased it.

After Clark grounded out in the first inning, Gwynn singled to right field in the bottom half.

The race had shifted.

Gwynn continued collecting hits, eventually finishing 3-for-4 with two RBIs in San Diego's 3-0 victory.

Clark managed one hit in four at-bats.

When the final averages were calculated, Gwynn had won the batting title with a .336 average.

Clark finished at .333.

Three points separated them after six months of baseball.

It was a fitting conclusion to a competition between two players who approached hitting differently but appreciated each other's abilities.

And although Clark came up short, his 1989 season was far from a disappointment.

He finished with 196 hits, 23 home runs, 111 RBIs and a .333 batting average. He also had a .407 on-base percentage and .546 slugging percentage.

Those numbers helped him finish second in National League MVP voting behind teammate Kevin Mitchell.

The Giants won 92 games and advanced to the National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs.

Clark's season would become even more memorable in October.

In Game 1 of the NLCS, he went 4-for-4 with two home runs, including a grand slam off Greg Maddux, and drove in six runs.

That performance helped him earn NLCS honors after batting .650 during the five-game series, helping the Giants reach their first World Series since 1962.

Gwynn won the batting championship while Clark won the pennant.

Clark never won a batting title, but for one unforgettable weekend in San Diego, he pushed one of baseball's greatest hitters to the limit.

And for a player already known as "Will the Thrill," it was another reminder that he could do considerably more than hit the ball over the fence.