Milwaukee Brewers History: Trevor Hoffman Notches 600th Save
By David Hill
Trevor Hoffman is remembered for his time with the San Diego Padres, but he finished out his career with the Milwaukee Brewers. It was with the Brewers when, on this day in 2010, Hoffman became the first pitcher with 600 saves.
Father Time had caught up with Trevor Hoffman in 2010. He had been roughed up for much of the year, giving up home runs with an alarming frequency, and had lost the closer role during the year. It was quite apparent that the 42 year old Hoffman did not have much, if anything, left in the tank.
However, he still had a couple of moments left. It was on this day in 2010 when the Milwaukee Brewers turned to Hoffman in the ninth inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals. He turned back the clock, allowing only a leadoff single to Colby. A double play and a weak ground ball to short later, and Hoffman entered the record books as the first pitcher in MLB history with 600 saves.
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It was a testament to Hoffman’s impeccable command and devastating changeup that he was able to thrive as a closer. Instead of the fireballers of modern times, he would throw in the mid 90’s, relying on that changeup that was virtually indistinguishable from the heater. That change helped Hoffman rack up 601 saves overall, made him one of the top closers in the history of the game.
The way that Hoffman notched this milestone save was also a part of his typical performance. He was able to induce the weak contact that he was known for, working around that leadoff single. It may not have been the most dominating performance, but it was effective. It was the prototypical Hoffman save.
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One of only two pitchers with 600 career saves, Trevor Hoffman became the first pitcher to reach that milestone. It just happened on a team that few would remember him being on.