San Diego Padres closer Trevor Hoffman is getting his due as the sixth reliever in the MLB Hall of Fame.
In a lot of ways, San Diego Padres reliever Trevor Hoffman was not the stereotypical closer. He was not armed with an impressive fastball, and was not the type of pitcher who would just throw the ball past the opposition. Instead, Hoffman relied on his devastating changeup and excellent command to find success.
That combination certainly worked. Even though he was overshadowed by other flamethrowing closers, he outlasted them all. Hoffman led the National League in saves only twice, once in 1998, and again as a 38 year old in 2006, but he was remarkably consistent. He was in the top three in saves seven other times, and was the NL runnerup in five seasons. Hoffman had seven years with 40 or more saves, and 14 years when he recorded 30 or more.
Over the course of his career, Hoffman became the first pitcher to record 500 and 600 saves, finishing his career with 601 saves, a mark passed only by Mariano Rivera. He posted a 2.87 ERA and a 1.058 WHiP over 1089.1 innings, striking out 1133 batters while issuing 307 walks. Hoffman was a seven time All Star, and finished second in the Cy Young voting twice.
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And yet, despite those accomplishments, it seemed as though Hoffman never quite received his due. Perhaps it was due to his arsenal, as his reliance on command and his changeup hardly captured the imagination. Or this was due to Hoffman pitching for the Padres, a team that reached the World Series only once during his time.
However, there was no questioning that, when healthy, Hoffman was one of the best closers in the game. That arsenal helped contribute to his longevity, and his amazing consistency on the mound. In fact, his production as a closer is all the more impressive given that the started his professional career as a shortstop, and was converted to the mound in 1991. Just two years later, Hoffman was in the majors, and seized the closer role in his second major league season.
Now, after three years on the ballot, Hoffman is getting his due. He is finally joining baseball’s immortals, the sixth reliever to be so honored. He can now take his rightful place as one of the best closers in the history of the game, a pitcher who was able to maximize his abilities and capitalize on the chances he was given.
San Diego Padres closer Trevor Hoffman is getting his due. After a three year wait, he is now a member of the Hall of Fame.