Trevor William Hoffman (born October 13, 1967) is an American former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

who played 18 years in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) from 1993 to 2010. A long-time closer, he pitched for the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

, and

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

, including more than 15 years for the Padres. Hoffman was the major leagues' first player to reach the 500- and 600- save milestones, and was the all-time saves leader from 2006 until 2011. He was inducted into the

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

. Hoffman currently serves as senior advisor for baseball operations for the Padres. Hoffman played

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

collegiately at the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

and was drafted in the 11th round by the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

. After not having much success

batting Batting may refer to: *Batting (baseball), the act of attempting to hit a ball thrown by the pitcher with a baseball bat, in order to score runs *Batting (cricket), the act of defending one's wicket with the cricket bat while attempting to score ru ...

, he was converted to a pitcher, as he was able to throw up to 95 miles per hour (MPH). The Marlins acquired Hoffman in the 1992 expansion draft, and he pitched for Florida until he was traded to the Padres, mid-season in 1993, in a deal that sent star

Gary Sheffield Gary Antonian Sheffield (born November 18, 1968) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball for eight teams from 1988 to 2009. He is a sports agent. For most of his career, Sheffield played right ...

to the Marlins. Hoffman recorded 20 saves in 1994 in his first season as Padres closer, and in the following years, he became the face of the franchise after

Tony Gwynn Anthony Keith Gwynn Sr. (May 9, 1960 – June 16, 2014), nicknamed "Mr. Padre", was an American professional baseball right fielder, who played 20 seasons (1982–2001) in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres. The left-handed hit ...

retired. Hoffman collected at least 30 saves each year for the next 14 years, except for 2003 when he missed most of the year recovering from shoulder surgery. After San Diego did not re-sign him following the 2008 season, Hoffman pitched for two years with the Brewers before retiring after the 2010 season. Hoffman was selected for the All-Star team seven times, and twice he was the runner-up for the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

(NL)

Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall ...

, given annually to the top pitcher in the league. Hoffman retired with MLB records of fifteen 20-save seasons, fourteen 30-save seasons (including eight consecutive), and nine 40-save seasons (including two streaks of four consecutive). He also retired with the highest career strikeout rate of any reliever.Minimum 1,000 innings pitched Though Hoffman entered the majors with a powerful

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...

, an injury after the 1994 season permanently diminished his fastball velocity and forced him to reinvent his pitching style; he subsequently developed one of the best

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...

s in baseball. Hoffman's entrance at home games accompanied by the

AC/DC AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...

song " Hells Bells" was popular with fans. After retiring as a player, Hoffman returned to the Padres as a special assistant in the front office. In 2014, he became the team's pitching coordinator at their upper

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...

levels, which included working with the Padres general manager. The following year, Hoffman's role expanded to overseeing pitching instruction at all levels in the minors.

Early life

Hoffman was born on October 13, 1967, in

Bellflower, California Bellflower is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It was founded in 1906 and municipal corporation, incorporated on September 3, 1957. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total popu ...

. When he was six weeks old, Hoffman had to have a damaged kidney removed because an arterial blockage had formed there. His father, Ed, who stood at and , was a

Marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

and a veteran of the

Battle of Iwo Jima The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJ ...

in World War II. He later became a professional singer before he quit being on the road and got a job at the post office. He was also an usher at

California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

games; he was known as the Singing Usher, leading the crowd in the singing of "

Take Me Out to the Ball Game "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song ...

" in the seventh-inning and filling in if the designated national anthem singer did not show up. Ed would often bring Trevor to the games with him. Hoffman's mother, Mikki, was an English-born ballerina and came from an athletic family. Her father,

Jack French John Alexander French, Victoria Cross, VC (15 July 1914 – 4 September 1942) was an List of Australian Victoria Cross recipients, Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can ...

, was a professional

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

player with Southend United FC before World War II. She met Hoffman's father in a play in England in which she was performing and he was acting and singing. Hoffman was taught by his mom to take responsibility. "Bad workmen always blame their tools," Mikki would say. Hoffman's older brother, Glenn, was nine years older and played

in the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

organization. Center 2007, p.123 During summer vacation when Hoffman was 10 years old, he joined Glenn while he was playing in Pawtucket. His oldest brother, Greg, was 14 years Hoffman's senior and a mentor to his two younger brothers. After Hoffman's first

Little League Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationlankingtime you tell me how you did. When I ask you how you did, it's how the team did." Hoffman never forgot that. Given their age difference, Hoffman considered his brothers more role models than playmates. " lennwas the guide while Greg was the drill instructor", said Hoffman. Because of his damaged kidney, Hoffman was not allowed to play football or wrestle. Hoffman went to

Savanna High School Savanna High School (SHS) is a public high school in the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD), located in the city of Anaheim, California in the United States. Savanna was established in 1961 and is one of eight comprehensive high schools w ...

Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...

, as had Glenn, and following his more-talented older brother put pressure on Hoffman. Ed, who did not trust that coaches would protect Hoffman's arm, stopped allowing his son to pitch after he was 12 years old. Standing at just and , Hoffman played

at Savanna, but nobody offered him a scholarship out of high school. He grew three inches over the summer and continued playing at

Cypress College Cypress College is a public community college in Cypress, California. It is part of the California Community Colleges System and belongs to the North Orange County Community College District. It offers a variety of general education (55 associat ...

, and later for the

from 1988 through 1989. Arizona was afraid of the liability if Hoffman's remaining kidney got hit by a baseball. "I told them the one kidney I have is on my right side. That's not the side that faces the pitcher when I hit, so it was O.K. They bought it", said Hoffman. He led Arizona in hitting in 1988 with a .371

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

, 35 points better than teammate

J. T. Snow Jack Thomas Snow Jr. (born February 26, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports color commentator. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball from to , most notably as a member of the San Franci ...

. Other notable teammates included

Scott Erickson Scott Gavin Erickson (born February 2, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Yankees over 15 seasons. He was a membe ...

and Kevin Long. Hoffman exhibited a strong throwing arm playing shortstop.

Professional playing career

Minor leagues

Hoffman was selected by the

in the 11th round with the 288th overall selection of the

1989 MLB draft First-round selections The following are the first round picks in the 1989 Major League Baseball draft on June 5. Supplemental first round selections Other notable players * Brian Hunter, 2nd round, 35th overall by the Houston Astros * Ti ...

, and he signed for $3,000. Prior to the draft, Reds scout Jeff Barton talked to Hoffman about playing another position. Hoffman was open to anything that might advance his career, and they talked about catching or pitching with his exceptional arm. Barton ranked Hoffman's arm an 80 on a 20–80 scale, where 60 was above average and 80 was a rarity. Hoffman played shortstop and

third base A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

for the Reds' Single-A affiliate

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

. In his first 103 games, he only batted .212 with 23

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...

. Not showing much batting potential, Hoffman was converted to

in 1991 at the suggestion of Charleston manager

Jim Lett James Curtis Lett (born January 3, 1951) is an American retired baseball player, and a former coach for several teams. He was born in Charleston, West Virginia. Biography Lett is a 1969 graduate of Winfield High School in Winfield, West Virginia ...

, who also grew tired of Hoffman overthrowing first base. Hoffman threw and recorded a 2.90 ERA with 169 strikeouts in minor league innings over two seasons while alternating between relieving and starting at Single-A

Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and northeast of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city. ...

, Double-A

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

and Triple-A

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

Major leagues (1993–2010)

1993–1995

Left unprotected by Cincinnati in the

1992 MLB Expansion Draft On November 17, 1992, during the 1992–93 offseason, Major League Baseball (MLB) held an expansion draft in New York City to allow two expansion teams, the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies, to build their rosters prior to debuting in the Nati ...

, Hoffman was selected by the

with the eighth pick in the first round. In his first major league season in 1993, Hoffman learned by observing Marlins closer

Bryan Harvey Bryan Stanley Harvey (born June 2, 1963) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to for the California Angels of the American League and the Florida Marlins of the National Lea ...

's balanced demeanor. After earning two saves in 29 appearances with the Marlins as an unknown rookie, Hoffman was traded midseason to the

during San Diego's 1993

fire sale A fire sale is the sale of goods at extremely discounted prices. The term originated in reference to the sale of goods at a heavy discount due to fire damage. It may or may not be defined as a closeout, the final sale of goods to zero inventory ...

. The Padres sent third baseman

and pitcher

Rich Rodriguez Richard Alan Rodriguez (; born May 24, 1963), also known as Rich Rod, is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Jacksonville State University. Rodriguez previously was the head football coach at Salem Uni ...

to the Marlins for Hoffman and pitching prospects José Martínez and

Andrés Berumen Andres Berumen (born April 5, 1971) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres. Career Berumen was drafted 27th overall by the Kansas City Royals in 1989. Sa ...

. Padres general manager Randy Smith said at the time, "The only way to acquire quality players is to give up quality." The year before, Sheffield had won the NL

batting title In baseball, batting average (AVG) is a measure of a batter's success rate in achieving a hit during an at bat. In Major League Baseball (MLB), it is calculated by dividing a player's hits by his at bats (AB). In MLB, a player in each league wins ...

and made a run at the

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Trip ...

. Smith insisted that Florida include Hoffman in the deal. Padres fans, upset at the trade, booed Hoffman during his first several appearances. He allowed three runs in his one-inning debut with San Diego, eight runs over his first three outings, and blew his first save opportunity as a Padre. He pitched 39 games for San Diego, who finished the season with 101 losses, and ended his rookie season with 79 strikeouts in 90 innings with a 3.90 ERA and five saves. During the strike-shortened 1994 season, Hoffman took over closer duties from an injured and ineffective

Gene Harris Gene Harris (born Eugene Haire, September 1, 1933 – January 16, 2000) was an American jazz pianist known for his warm sound and blues and gospel infused style that is known as soul jazz. From 1956 to 1970, he played in The Three Sounds trio ...

in mid-April. Hoffman recorded 20 saves and a 2.57 ERA while averaging 10.9

strikeouts per 9 innings pitched In baseball statistics, strikeouts per nine innings pitched (K/9, SO/9, or SO/9IP) is the mean of strikeouts (or Ks) by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by multiplying the number of strikeouts by nine, and dividing by the numb ...

(K/9). The weekend after the strike began, Hoffman, playing

Nerf Nerf is a toy brand formed by Parker Brothers and currently owned by Hasbro. Most of the toys are a variety of foam-based weaponry, with other Nerf products including balls for sports such as American football, basketball, and baseball. The ...

football at Del Mar Beach near San Diego, dived for a pass and landed awkwardly on his right shoulder. He later played volleyball and landed on the shoulder again while going for a

dig Digging, also referred to as excavation, is the process of using some implement such as claws, hands, manual tools or heavy equipment, to remove material from a solid surface, usually soil, sand or rock (geology), rock on the surface of Earth. Di ...

. He heard a strange sound. In 1995, he had a 3.88 ERA and 31 saves and averaged 8.8 K/9. Hoffman pitched hurt from

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

through the season and finally had off-season

rotator cuff The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the human shoulder and allow for its extensive range of motion. Of the seven scapulohumeral muscles, four make up the rotator cuff. The four muscles are the supraspi ...

surgery. " offmannever bitched about his arm, which was killing him from Day One ... He was out there when most guys wouldn't have been", said Smith. This is also the year during which he developed his

1996–1998

In both 1996 and 1997, Hoffman pitched over 80 innings, with 111 strikeouts, averaged approximately 40 saves, and had ERAs of 2.25 and 2.66. In 1996, the Padres entered the last three games of the season in Los Angeles trailing the division-leading

Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

by two games. Hoffman recorded saves in each of the final three games against the Dodgers, as the Padres won the

NL West The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed for the 1969 season when the National League expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos. For purpose of keeping a re ...

for their first division title in 12 years. After finishing the season with 18 straight saves, Hoffman was named ''The Sporting News'' NL Fireman of the Year in 1996, and received votes for both the

and the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award. The Padres played the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...

in the

1996 National League Division Series The 1996 National League Division Series (NLDS), the opening round of the 1996 National League playoffs, began on Tuesday, October 1, and ended on Saturday, October 5, with the champions of the three NL divisions—along with a "wild card" team� ...

(NLDS) and were swept in the series 3–0. Hoffman entered Game 2 with the score tied and one out and

inherited runners This is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial and specialized terms, phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, along with their definitions, including illustrative examples for many entries. ...

on second and third. A run scored as he retired the only two batters he faced, and the Padres lost 5–4. In Game 3, Hoffman recorded the loss as he came into the tie game and allowed a 2-run homer to

Brian Jordan Brian O'Neal Jordan (born March 29, 1967) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and National Football League safety. In the NFL, he played for the Atlanta Falcons, while he played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Los An ...

for a 7–5 loss. The following season on June 23, 1997, he came in with the bases loaded in the ninth inning and struck out

to save the 11–6 win over the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

and became the Padres' career saves leader with 109, passing Hall of Famer

Rollie Fingers Roland Glen Fingers (born August 25, 1946) is an American former right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three teams between 1968 and 1985, when his effectiveness helped to redefine the value of relievers within baseba ...

. San Diego won only 76 games that year, but Hoffman ranked second in the NL with 37 saves. During the 1998 season, Hoffman began entering save situations in Padres home games to the

entrance music Entrance music (also known as an entry theme or walk-on music) is a musical piece or song that is played for athletes or entertainers when they first appear in front of the spectators before beginning a performance. Popular music acts may have rec ...

's " Hells Bells" playing over the public address system, an event that came to be known as "Trevor Time". The tradition began July 25, 1998, and the song was chosen by a Padres salesman. The crowd was excited by the tolling of the bells from the song, and the scoreboard showing Hoffman running in from the

bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...

. Hoffman preserved a 6–5 win against the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

by striking out

Moisés Alou Moisés Rojas-Alou Beltré (; ; born July 3, 1966) is a Dominican-American former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the National League. In 1,942 career games, Alou had a batting average of .303 with 2,134 hits, ...

to end that game and converted his 41st consecutive save opportunity, tying an MLB record at the time. The following night, Hoffman's streak ended on an Alou home run, though the Padres ended up winning the game. It was Hoffman's only blown save of the regular season. On September 1, he saved a 9–8 victory over the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

for his 45th save, breaking the club record set by

Mark Davis Mark Davis may refer to: Entertainers *Mark Davis (talk show host), American radio talk show host * Mark Jonathan Davis (born 1965), American actor/singer and creator of Richard Cheese *Mark Davis, American bassist and founding member for the band ...

in 1989 when he won the Cy Young Award. On September 12, the Padres clinched their second division title in three years after Hoffman saved an 8–7 win over the Dodgers. In a 4–3 win over the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

on September 14, he worked a perfect ninth inning and became the fourth reliever in MLB history to reach the 50-save mark. Hoffman had a career-high 53 saves and a career-best 1.48 ERA. His saves tied the NL single-season record set in 1993 by the Cubs'

Randy Myers Randall Kirk Myers (born September 19, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Bl ...

. Opponents batted .165 against him, and the first hitters he faced hit .129. His ERA in save situations was 0.49, and he struck out 10.6 hitters per nine innings. The Padres were 62–4 in games he pitched. Hoffman was runner-up in the Cy Young Award race that year to

Tom Glavine Thomas Michael Glavine (born March 25, 1966) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball, for the Atlanta Braves (1987–2002, 2008) and New York Mets (2003–2007). With 164 victories durin ...

of the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

, despite receiving 13 first-place votes to Glavine's 11. Hoffman was left off of six ballots. Hoffman and

Adam Wainwright Adam Parrish Wainwright (born August 30, 1981), nicknamed "Waino" and "Uncle Charlie", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Atlanta Braves selected him 29th overall in the ...

in 2009 are the only two pitchers to ever receive the most first-place votes and not win the Cy Young. Hoffman won the

Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award The Rolaids Relief Man Award was an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award given from 1976 to 2012 to the top relief pitchers of the regular season, one in the American League (AL) and one in the National League (NL). Relief pitchers enter th ...

and captured another Fireman of the Year Award. He finished seventh in NL MVP voting. Facing the Houston Astros in the

1998 NLDS The 1998 National League Division Series (NLDS), the opening round of the 1998 National League playoffs, began on Tuesday, September 29, and ended on Sunday, October 4, with the champions of the three NL divisions—along with a "wild card" team� ...

, the Padres won the series 3–1. Hoffman earned two saves, both in 2–1 wins. In Game 1 against Atlanta in the

1998 National League Championship Series The 1998 National League Championship Series (NLCS), to determine the champion of Major League Baseball's National League, was played from October 7 to 14 between the East Division champion Atlanta Braves and the West Division champion San Diego ...

, Hoffman entered to stop a rally in the eighth inning with a 2–1 lead. He allowed a run in the ninth, tying the game, after converting 53 of 54 save attempts during the regular season. After Padre

Ken Caminiti Kenneth Gene Caminiti (April 21, 1963 – October 10, 2004) was an American third baseman who spent 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Houston Astros (1987–1994, 1999–2000), San Diego Padres (1995–1998), Texas Rangers ( ...

hit a home run in the top of the 10th, Hoffman got two outs but ran into trouble and was taken out after throwing 43 pitches. He was credited with a win as the Padres held on, 3–2. Hoffman entered Game 3 with the bases loaded and two out in the eighth, and he struck out

Javy López Javier "Javy" López Torres (born November 5, 1970) is a Puerto Rican former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Atlanta Braves (1992–2003), Baltimore Orioles (2004–2006) and Boston Red Sox (2006). He batted and threw right-h ...

on three pitches to end the inning and would save the Padres' 4–1 victory. San Diego was up 3–0 in the series and would go on to win 4–2. The Padres reached the

1998 World Series The 1998 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1998 season. The 94th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the National Le ...

, but lost the series 4–0 against the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

, who finished with an MLB-record 125 combined regular season and playoff victories and the third-best overall winning percentage (.714) for a World Series champion. In his only appearance in the series in Game 3, Hoffman entered in the eighth with a runner on and no outs and a 3–2 lead. Later in the inning, he surrendered a three-run homer to

Scott Brosius Scott David Brosius (born August 15, 1966) is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman for the Oakland Athletics (–) and the New York Yankees (–). Early life Brosius grew up in Milwaukie, Oregon, where he attended Rex Pu ...

, the eventual

World Series MVP The Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is given to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the World Series, which is the final round of the MLB postseason. The aw ...

, and the Padres lost the game 5–4.

1999–2002

Hoffman signed a $32 million contract extension with San Diego in March 1999 for the 2000–03 seasons. At the time, it was the richest contract ever given any Padre or any relief pitcher. The Padres held an option for $10 million for 2004. Hoffman's contract included a no-trade clause, the first the Padres had ever granted. Following their World Series appearance in 1998, the Padres lost key players to begin the 1999 season and finished under .500 each season from 1999 through 2002, while finishing either fourth or fifth in the five-team NL West each year. Hoffman saved 56% of the team's wins during that span. He set MLB records with his fifth overall and fourth consecutive 40-save season in 2001, as well as his seventh consecutive 30-save campaign. In 2002, he extended his MLB record with his eighth straight 30-save season. Hoffman was named to the All-Star game in 1999, 2000, and 2002. On June 10, 1999, Hoffman struck out the side in the ninth inning in a 2–1 Padres victory over the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

for his 200th career save. On August 15, 2001, Hoffman recorded his 300th save in a 2–1 home win over the Mets. Hoffman broke

Dennis Eckersley Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3, 1954), nicknamed "Eck", is an American professional baseball pitcher and former color commentator. Between 1975 and 1998, he pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, ...

's record for most saves with one team (320) in 2002. ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...

'' placed Hoffman on the cover of their May 13, 2002, issue with the headline "The Secret of San Diego: Why Trevor Hoffman of the Padres is the best closer (ever)".

2003–2006

Hoffman sat out most of the 2003 season while recovering from two offseason shoulder surgeries, including one that trimmed the tip of his

scapula The scapula (plural scapulae or scapulas), also known as the shoulder blade, is the bone that connects the humerus (upper arm bone) with the clavicle (collar bone). Like their connected bones, the scapulae are paired, with each scapula on eithe ...

. It marked the first time he had been on the disabled list after 10 major league seasons. In his absence,

Rod Beck Rodney Roy Beck (August 3, 1968 – June 23, 2007), nicknamed "Shooter", was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants (–), Chicago Cubs (–), Boston Red Sox (1999–) and San Diego Padres (–). He batte ...

closed for the Padres. Hoffman pitched his first game in 2003 on September 2 with a perfect seventh inning in a 6–3 win over the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...

. He pitched in nine games in 2003, all non-save situations, with an ERA of 2.00 and 11 strikeouts in 9 innings. Coming off the injury, the Padres bought out their $10 million option on Hoffman for 2004 for $2 million and agreed to a new deal with a $2.5 million salary for 2004 including $500,000 in incentives and an option for 2005. In the Padres inaugural season at their new home in

Petco Park Petco Park is a baseball stadium in Downtown San Diego, California. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres, and has also been used as a venue for concerts, soccer, golf, and rugby. The ballpark is located between Se ...

in 2004, Hoffman returned to the closer role and finished with 41 saves with a 2.30 ERA, his lowest since 1998. He passed

Jeff Reardon Jeffrey James Reardon (born October 1, 1955) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1979–1994 with the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta B ...

(367) and Hall of Famer

(390) to end the season third on the all-time saves list. The new park provided an upgrade over

Qualcomm Stadium San Diego Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. The stadium opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium and was known as Jack Murphy Stadium from 1981 to 1997. From 1997 to 2017, the stadiu ...

for "Trevor Time" with a state-of-the-art sound system and new scoreboards with enhanced visuals allowing for animated flames and live fan shots. On May 6, 2005, Hoffman saved a 6–5 win over the

as the Padres won two straight in St. Louis for the first time since 1977. It was Hoffman's 400th save, and he became the third pitcher in MLB history to reach the milestone, following

John Franco John Anthony Franco (born September 17, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed relief pitcher between and . Franco established himself as an All-Star player with the Cinci ...

(424) and

Lee Smith Lee Smith is the name of: Arts, entertainment and media *Lee Smith (fiction author) (born 1944), American author of fiction *Lee Smith (film editor) (born 1960), Australian film editor *Lee Smith (musician) (born 1983), American drummer *Lee Smith ...

(478). Hoffman was named both the NL Pitcher of the Month and Delivery Man of the Month in May after a perfect 12 for 12 in save opportunities while posting a 0.82 ERA (1 ER/11.0 IP) in 12 games as the Padres went 22–6 for their best month in franchise history. On August 24, Hoffman converted his 29th consecutive save opportunity in a 7–4 win over the

. He passed Franco for second place on the all-time saves list with his 425th save, and the Padres maintained a six-game lead in the NL West with a 63–63 record. The Padres won the NL West with an 82–80 record, and Hoffman finished the season 43 for 46 in save opportunities, the second most saves in the NL. The Padres were swept 3–0 in the playoffs by the Cardinals, who had a majors-best 100–62 record in the regular season. Hoffman did not get into any save situations as the Padres never led through any of the 27 innings in the series. As a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

after the 2005 season, Hoffman re-signed with the Padres after negotiating with the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

. Hoffman signed a $13.5 million, two-year contract that included a club option for 2008. "It came down to me making a decision for my family and not disrupting what we have going on", said Hoffman. "This is probably the most significant signing that I've had", said then-Padres general manager

Kevin Towers Kevin Scott Towers (November 11, 1961 – January 30, 2018) was an American executive in Major League Baseball. He served as the general manager of the San Diego Padres from 1995 to 2009 and for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2010 to 2014. Early ...

. "This guy is the face of our organization. I can't put into words what he means to our community." Trevor Hoffman 479th save ball

In 2006, Hoffman was named to his fifth All-Star game, but was the losing pitcher in the

game A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...

after having two strikes with two outs to Michael Young, who was later named the

All-Star Game Most Valuable Player The Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award which is presented to the most outstanding player in each year's MLB All-Star Game. Awarded each season since 1962 (two games w ...

. His All-Star performance bothered him, and he suffered two of his five blown saves that year in the week that followed. August 20 marked Hoffman's 776th outing for the Padres, breaking the Pirates

Elroy Face Elroy Leon Face (born February 20, 1928), nicknamed The Bullpen Baron, is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. During a 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he pitched primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates. A pioneer of ...

's major league record for most relief appearances with one club. On September 24 in the Padres' last home game of the year, Hoffman retired eventual 2006 NL batting champion

Freddy Sanchez Frederick Phillip Sanchez Jr. (born December 21, 1977) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. Sanchez played in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox (–), Pittsburgh Pirates (–) and San Francisco Giants (–). He ...

for the final out of a 2–1 win over the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

, keeping the Padres -game lead atop the NL West with seven games left to play. With the save, Hoffman became the all-time Major League saves leader, surpassing Lee Smith's record of 478. As the Padres celebrated on the mound with Hoffman, the Pirates remained in the dugout watching in respectful salute. "I've never seen a crowd get into one inning for one guy like that before", said Pirates reliever

John Grabow John William Grabow, nicknamed "Grabes" (born November 4, 1978) is an American former professional baseball left-handed reliever. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs of the Major League Baseball (MLB). In his MLB career, he he ...

. "You get goose bumps even if you are on the other team." The Padres presented Hoffman with a golden bell trophy, a reference to "Hells Bells". Hoffman saved a 3–1 win over the Diamondbacks on September 30 as the Padres to clinched a playoff berth. The next day in the last regular season game, two home runs were hit off Hoffman before he saved a 7–6 win over the Diamondbacks, earning the Padres their second consecutive NL West title. He was named Delivery Man of the Month for September after being 10 for 11 in save opportunities and striking out 13 batters over 12.0 innings and allowing only seven hits. Hoffman saved 46 of 51 save chances on the year, and led the NL in saves for the second time. His 11th 30-save season set an MLB record, while his eighth 40-save season extended his record. His season save total was the second highest in his career. Hoffman won the Rolaids Relief Award for the second time in his career, was awarded ''The Sporting News'' NL Reliever of the Year for the third time, and finished as the runner-up for the Cy Young Award for the second time. In the playoffs, the Padres faced the Cardinals in the NLDS again. Down 2–0 in the series, Hoffman saved Game 3 in a 3–1 win to avoid elimination. However, the Padres lost the series 3–1 as their offense managed only six runs in the four games against the eventual

2006 World Series The 2006 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2006 season. The 102nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Detroit Tigers and the National Leag ...

champions.

2007–2008

On April 28, 2007, in a 3–2 win over the Dodgers, Hoffman earned a save and pitched in his 803rd game for the Padres, breaking the MLB record for games pitched for one team. The record was previously held by both

Walter Johnson Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946), nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Baseball as a right-ha ...

of the Washington Senators and

of the

. On June 6 against the Dodgers, Hoffman became the first pitcher in MLB history to log 500 saves after the Padres' 5–2 victory. Hoffman was awarded the Delivery Man of the Month for May after converting all 11 of his save opportunities and allowing no earned runs in 13 games. On July 1, Hoffman was named to the NL All-Star Team for the sixth time in his career. On September 8 against the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...

, Hoffman struck-out

Todd Helton Todd Lynn Helton (born August 20, 1973) is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played his entire 17-year career for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). A five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, and ...

swinging on a 74-mph change-up for his 1,000th career strikeout, becoming the eighth reliever to reach the mark. On September 27, Hoffman picked up his 40th save of the 2007 season, marking his ninth season with 40 saves, a Major League record. On September 29, one strike away from clinching the Padres third consecutive playoff berth, Hoffman surrendered a tying, two-out triple in the ninth inning to Tony Gwynn Jr., son of legendary Padres Hall of Famer

. The Padres would lose 4–3 in the 11th inning to the

. On October 1, in the Padres' wild card tie-breaker game against the Rockies, Hoffman blew his second straight save opportunity and his team's 8–6 lead in the 13th inning. He took the loss when he allowed the game-winning run to score on a sacrifice fly. For the season, he converted 42 saves in 49 opportunities while posting a 4–5 mark and 2.98 ERA. His 42 saves were the third most in the NL. A couple of weeks after the end of the season, Hoffman had minor

arthroscopic surgery Arthroscopy (also called arthroscopic or keyhole surgery) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a joint in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage is performed using an arthroscope, an endoscope that is inserted into the jo ...

on his pitching elbow to remove bone chips. He said it was unrelated to his pitching performance at the end of the season. Trevor Hoffman (2651417101)

Hoffman surrendered a home run but recorded his 550th save on August 14, 2008, in a 3–2 victory over the Brewers. On September 19, 2008, Hoffman finished an 11–6 14-inning win over the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

for his 900th career MLB game. Hoffman's 30th and last save of the season, a 3–2 win over the Pirates, ensured the Padres would not lose 100 games that season. The Padres finished with a 63–99 record after being projected by the team and analysts to win 87–90 games. Hoffman ended the 2008 season 3–6 with a 3.77 ERA and 30 in 34 save opportunities. He tied for sixth in the NL in saves. Hoffman reached 20 or more saves for the 14th time to set a new MLB record. He had a 5.14 ERA through his first 29 appearances and a 1.56 ERA in his last 19 appearances of the season. Hoffman, eligible for free agency, realized he was decreasing his leverage when he declared he wanted to return to play for San Diego in 2009 and did not want to move his family. Meanwhile, Padres owner John Moores, who was in the midst of a divorce and in the process of selling the team, ordered the team to reduce its payroll from its 2008 budget of $73.6 million to $40 million. It was announced on November 10, 2008, that Hoffman would not return to San Diego in 2009. With his struggles during the season, the cost-cutting Padres lowballed a $4 million offer with an option for 2010 and later retracted that, ending his tenure with the team. It was not an amicable parting for Hoffman, who was the face of the franchise after Tony Gwynn's retirement following the 2001 season. His 902 career appearances as a Padre extended his own MLB record for games pitched with one team.

2009–2010

On January 13, 2009, Hoffman signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the

. He suffered a strained muscle on the right side of his

rib cage The rib cage, as an enclosure that comprises the ribs, vertebral column and sternum in the thorax of most vertebrates, protects vital organs such as the heart, lungs and great vessels. The sternum, together known as the thoracic cage, is a semi- ...

in spring training, and started the season on the DL. He made his Brewers debut on April 27, 2009. Hoffman recorded his first save for Milwaukee the next day, and the Brewers continued with his "Trevor Time" entrance. He was named NL Pitcher of the Month as well as Delivery Man of the Month in May after recording 11 saves in 12 scoreless appearances in the month. He started the season with 18 scoreless innings before entering in a tie game on June 14 and surrendering a run in a 5–4 loss against the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

. Hoffman was selected as an All-Star in 2009 as a late replacement, making his seventh appearance.Replaced

Jonathan Broxton Jonathan Roy Broxton (born June 16, 1984) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardin ...

On September 3, he struck out

Albert Pujols José Alberto Pujols Alcántara () (); born January 16, 1980) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball first baseman, designated hitter and third baseman who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "The Machine", ...

on three pitches for his 30th save in the 4–3 win over St. Louis. The save extended Hoffman's record to 14 seasons with at least 30 saves. He had already increased his record of 20 or more saves to 15. Hoffman appeared in 55 games with the Brewers, recording 37 saves in 41 attempts with a 1.83 ERA and a .183 BAA. It was the second lowest ERA of his career behind his 1.48 ERA in 1998, and he ranked fifth in the NL in saves. In the offseason, he re-signed with the Brewers for $8 million for 2010 with a mutual option for the 2011 season. With less control on his changeup, Hoffman struggled in 2010. In April, Hoffman pitched nine innings and allowed 13 earned runs and six home runs—surpassing his totals in both categories from all of the previous season—and he blew four of his seven save opportunities. Historically though, Hoffman had blown 20 of 84 save attempts in April for his career, a 76.1 percent success rate, while converting 90.6 percent the rest of the season. On May 1, Hoffman earned his first save at Petco Park as a visitor, as the Brewers beat the Padres 2–1. After saving just five of his first 10 chances with an ERA over 12.00 in mid-May, Hoffman's struggles prompted Brewers manager

Ken Macha Kenneth Edward Macha (; born September 29, 1950) is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. He managed the Oakland Athletics from 2003–2006, including American League Western Division championships in both his first and final s ...

to remove him as closer and move him into

middle relief In baseball, a middle reliever or middle relief pitcher, is a relief pitcher who typically pitches during the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings of a standard baseball game. In leagues with no designated hitter, such as in the National League pri ...

to work on his mechanics. Hoffman insisted that there was nothing physically wrong with him, and he served as a mentor for his replacement,

John Axford John Berton Axford (born April 1, 1983), nicknamed "Ax Man", is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Pittsbu ...

. Stuck at 596 career saves before his demotion, Hoffman eventually returned to a setup role, and occasionally pitched in save situations. On September 7, 2010, he recorded his 600th save, and he was carried off the field by his teammates. "To be a part of it was great because of how much admiration we all have for Trevor", said teammate

Craig Counsell Craig John Counsell (born August 21, 1970) is an American former professional baseball player who is the manager for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Counsell became the Brewers' manager in May 2015; he became the longest-te ...

. Hoffman finished the season win a 2–7 win–loss record, 10 saves in 15 chances, and a 5.89 ERA in 50 appearances, but he allowed just nine earned runs in his final 33 appearances dating back to June 3. He and the Brewers parted ways on November 2 when the club declined to exercise a $7 million mutual option on his contract.

Retirement

In the offseason, Hoffman expressed interest in taking over the closer role for a team near his home in San Diego, but he did not wish to return as a

setup pitcher In baseball, a setup man (or set-up man, also sometimes referred to as a setup pitcher or setup reliever) is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the eighth inning, with the closer pitching the ninth. As ...

and diminish his accomplishments. The

, where old friend and former Padres

general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...

was the GM, considered Hoffman a backup option as their closer had they not managed to sign

J. J. Putz Joseph Jason Putz (; born February 22, 1977) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks. High school an ...

. Hoffman believed he could still pitch in the big leagues, but with all of the closer roles for West Coast teams filled, he elected to retire, announcing his decision on January 11, 2011. He revealed that elbow

tendinitis Tendinopathy, a type of tendon disorder that results in pain, swelling, and impaired function. The pain is typically worse with movement. It most commonly occurs around the shoulder (rotator cuff tendinitis, biceps tendinitis), elbow (tennis elb ...

plagued him for most of the first half of 2010, though he never used it as an excuse for his performance. Hoffman had received three

cortisone Cortisone is a pregnene (21-carbon) steroid hormone. It is a naturally-occurring corticosteroid metabolite that is also used as a pharmaceutical prodrug; it is not synthesized in the adrenal glands. Cortisol is converted by the action of the enzy ...

injections that year with the Brewers. Hoffman retired with 601 saves as the all-time saves leader in MLB history. He had no desire to sign a ceremonial one-day player contract to retire as a Padre. "I don't believe that's the right way o retire, said Hoffman.

The Padres retired Hoffman's 51 at Petco Park in a

pre-game ceremony A pre-game ceremony or pre-match ceremony is an on-field ceremony occurring before a sporting event. Such ceremonies may celebrate a past event, honour a retiring athlete, commemorate a deceased athlete, or promote a cause. Celebrating past event ...

on August 21, 2011, against the Florida Marlins. San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders declared it "Trevor Hoffman Day." The ceremony was patterned after the show '' This Is Your Life'', featuring over 40 of Hoffman's former teammates and coaches.

Brian Johnson Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. In 1980, after the death of Bon Scott, he became the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC. He and the rest of the band were inducted into the Rock and Rol ...

, the lead singer on AC/DC's "Hells Bells", paid tribute in a video to Hoffman for "rocking the mound." In a nod to Hoffman's late father, Ed, the Padres presented Hoffman with a mint condition 1958

Cadillac The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...

convertible; his father loved driving his family in a convertible. For the

National Anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...

, the Padres played a video of Ed singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...

in 1981 when Hoffman's brother, Glenn, was the starting shortstop for the Red Sox. In 2014, Hoffman became the ninth inductee into the

San Diego Padres Hall of Fame The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team in Major League Baseball (MLB) based in San Diego, California. The club was founded in 1969 as part of the 1969 Major League Baseball expansion, league's expansion. The team's hall of ...

. He became eligible for induction into the

National Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

starting in 2016. In his debut, he fell short of the 75 percent of votes required for entry, but the 67.3 percent he received as a first-year candidate was promising for induction in the future. In 2017, Hoffman received 74 percent of the vote, falling five votes short of induction. On January 24, 2018, Hoffman was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame with 79.9 percent of the vote. Soon thereafter, the Padres announced plans to unveil a bronze statue of Hoffman at Petco Park sometime around his July 29 induction into the Hall of Fame.

Player profile

Pitching style

Hoffman was known for his high leg kick, the menacing glare through his cap pulled down almost to his eyes, and his deceptive

. When Hoffman first came into the league, he could throw up to 95 mph. He would also throw a

slider Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...

and only an occasional changeup. His original changeup was a conventional

circle changeup In baseball, a circle changeup (also called the "okay changeup", related to the thumb and index finger touching) is a pitch (baseball), pitch thrown with a grip that includes a circle formation, hence the name circle changeup. The circle is fo ...

taught to him by Cincinnati scout Larry Barton. Hoffman learned a different changeup, which he throws with a

palmball In baseball, the palmball pitch is a type of changeup. It requires placing the baseball tightly in the palm or held between the thumb and ring finger and then throwing it as if throwing a fastball. This takes some of the velocity off the pitch, i ...

grip, from teammate

Donnie Elliott Donald Glenn Elliott (born September 20, 1968) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played from 1994 to 1995 for the San Diego Padres. He is and weighed 190 pounds at the time. Philadelphia Phillies Prior to being d ...

in 1994. He began using the new changeup in 1995 when his fastball had dropped to 88–90 mph after his offseason injury on the beach. With the decrease in velocity, Hoffman knew he could not rely as much on his fastball. He played through 1995 and had surgery the following offseason for a torn

. When he returned the following year, Hoffman's fastball was at 87–88 mph, but he had more experience with his new changeup. His fastball reached back as high as 91 mph in 1998, but by sometime after 2000 it dropped down to 83–88 mph. His repertoire by then included primarily of his changeup, a

four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is ca ...

, a slower

cut fastball In baseball, a cut fastball or cutter is a type of fastball that breaks toward the pitcher's glove-hand side, as it reaches home plate. This pitch is somewhere between a slider and a four-seam fastball, as it is usually thrown faster than a slider ...

that moves in towards a left-handed batter, and the occasional slider and a curveball. Hoffman explained the key to his changeup was how he pinched the seam of the ball with his thumb and index finger as he released it. He threw the changeup with the arm speed used to throw a fastball, and the spin and movement of the ball looked the same to the batter. His changeup ranged from 73 to 76 mph.

Bruce Bochy Bruce Douglas Bochy (; born April 16, 1955), nicknamed "Boch" and "Headly", is an American professional baseball manager and former catcher who is the current manager of the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He managed the San Diego ...

, who managed Hoffman for over a decade with the Padres, said of Hoffman's changeup: "He pitched so well off his fastball pponentscouldn't just sit on it every pitch." "You could be sitting on is changeupand still not be successful with it", says former player

Mark Sweeney Mark Patrick Sweeney (born October 26, 1969) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman who played for several teams from 1995 to 2008. He is best known for his skill as a pinch hitter, where he ranks second in career pinch h ...

. It was the arm action on the change up and the late sink just before it reached the plate that allowed Hoffman to stay successful over the years. With opponents flailing to slow down their swings, teammates nicknamed Hoffman's changeup The Bugs Bunny Pitch after a famous Bugs Bunny cartoon episode. "Some itchersfool you. Some guys overpower you. Hoffman embarrasses you", said former rival and later teammate

Mike Piazza Michael Joseph Piazza ( ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1992 to 2007. He currently serves as the manager of the Italian national baseball tea ...

. After striking out on a changeup to end the game against Hoffman, Dodger catcher

Paul Lo Duca Paul Anthony Lo Duca (born April 12, 1972) is an American retired professional baseball player and television personality. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers (–), Florida Marlins (2004–, ), New York Met ...

said, "It's like it has a parachute on it." As Hoffman lost velocity on his fastball throughout his career, he compensated by maintaining a notable speed differential between that pitch and his changeup. He initially kept the grip of his changeup a secret. "I was a little weird about it", Hoffman said. "I didn't like talking about how I threw the change. I didn't want people to see how I gripped the ball. I thought I'd be giving away something to the hitters." Later in his career, he posed for pictures of his grip, figuring everyone had seen it.

Work ethic

Padres general manager

said Hoffman was the first one in and the last one out of the ballpark every day. Hoffman adhered to a daily conditioning program. When pitcher

Jeremy Fikac Jeremy Joseph Fikac (born April 8, 1975) is an American former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played for the San Diego Padres (–), Oakland Athletics (), and Montreal Expos (). Early life Fikac was born in Shiner, Texas, and atten ...

was promoted to the majors in 2001, Hoffman invited him to join him on his usual afternoon run. "I remember sitting in the bullpen that night, and my legs were still trembling from the run", Fikac recalled. "I'd run before, but not at that pace ... I was thinking, I hope they don't call on me because I can't feel my legs under me ... His work ethic is unbelievable." Bochy said, " offman'sone of those guys like Tony Gwynn—they never feel like they've arrived. Tony never thought, 'Well, I'm hitting .360 ... ' He was never content. And Trevor's the same way. They just keep working and make sure that they've got goals they want to reach." After every save opportunity, whether he converted it or blew it, Hoffman would sit in the dugout for up to five minutes after his teammates had cleared out. Whether it was the euphoria from success or the sting of failure, he would sit there and drain all the emotion out of himself, put the game behind him, and move on. Tracy Hoffman said, "He's all about order. That's the foundation to what he does. You see it when he's on the field. He's always the same, win or lose. He doesn't smile, doesn't show any emotion." Padres manager

Bud Black Harry Ralston "Bud" Black (born June 30, 1957) is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Colorado Rockies. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher from 1981 through 1995, most notably ...

marveled at Hoffman's regimen. "The daily preparation for his job, that focus and dedication each day to prepare for the ninth inning ... It was incredible to see live", said Black. "I played with

George Brett George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player who played all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a third baseman for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are second-mos ...

, a Hall of Famer who was a great worker. But Trevor took it to a level and a commitment and Hall of Fame caliber." After Hoffman resurrected his final season and recorded his 600th save, Macha said Hoffman's "work ethic and perseverance paid off ... He had to grind it out to get there."

Character

Hoffman was long regarded as one of the great teammates in baseball. He was known as a leader in the clubhouse and a tutor to younger players. He mentored his successor in San Diego,

Heath Bell Heath Justin Bell (born September 29, 1977) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. As a closer with the San Diego Padres from 2009 to 2011, Bell was a three-time All-Star and twice won the Rolaids Relief Man Award. He was ...

, and the pitcher who supplanted him in Milwaukee,

. "Just watching him go about his business was a big thing to me", Bell said. In his first game pitching setup to Axford after losing his closer role, Hoffman stayed in the dugout to watch Axford finish. Many relievers retire back to the clubhouse after being removed from a game. Hoffman's teammates noticed that he stayed supporting Axford through a bases-loaded jam. Axford spent the season absorbing Hoffman's advice, and the two bonded. "He took young players under his wing, especially relief pitchers", said former Padres teammate

Brad Ausmus Bradley David Ausmus (; born April 14, 1969) is an American former professional baseball manager and catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). In his 18-year MLB playing career, Ausmus played for the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Houston Ast ...

. Hoffman regularly organized team dinners on the road or had team family gatherings at his home, whether it was with the Padres or the Brewers. "It's very unusual for a pitcher, especially a relief pitcher, to be the team leader", Padres first baseman

Phil Nevin Phillip Joseph Nevin (born January 19, 1971) is an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He is the manager for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for 12 seasons, appearing in 1,217 games ...

said in 2002, "but everybody here looks to Trevor. This is his team." According to Ausmus, Hoffman wanted his teams to feel like a family. He felt like he let his family down if he did not do his job on a particular night. Still, he was accessible and held himself accountable on the rare occasions that he failed. Hoffman was more accommodating for interviews after blown saves than he was after successful ones. "The people asking the questions are not responsible for the ball flying out of the park", he explained. Both Towers and Black best remember Hoffman for his accountability after his blown save in the 2007 Wild Card tie-breaker. Baseball people revere Hoffman for how he treats people. Ausmus says Hoffman goes out of his way to engage fans. Beyond shaking hands or signing autographs, he has extended conversations with fans who want to talk baseball. When Hoffman passed on the Indians in free agency to stay with the Padres, he still sent an autographed jersey as a baby gift to then-Indians manager

Eric Wedge Eric Michael Wedge (born January 27, 1968) is an American former baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher and manager. As a player, Wedge attended Northrop High School in Fort Wayne and played on the school's state champion baseball team in ...

. After Hoffman saved the game to clinch the NL West on the last day of the 1996 season, he called Randy Smith, who traded for Hoffman as Padre GM before moving on to the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

. "Randy, I wish you were here", Hoffman said. "You're a part of this." While celebrating his record setting 479th save against the Pirates, Hoffman tipped his cap to the Pittsburgh dugout, particularly Pirates manager Jim Tracy, who managed Hoffman in Cincinnati's Double-A Chattanooga farm team in 1991 after he was converted to a pitcher. Despite losing his role as a closer in his final season, Hoffman took pleasure in supporting his teammates and "not being a cancer just because I was having trouble."

Legacy

Hoffman dominated his position at a consistent level while enjoying incredible longevity over almost two decades. After an 18-year career, the seven-time NL All-Star retired as MLB's all-time leader in saves with 601. He was the first pitcher to reach not only the 500 save milestone, but also 600. He converted 88.8 percent of his save opportunities, the third-highest rate among players with 300 or more saves. Barry Bloom of ''

MLB.com MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. (a subsidiary of MLB). MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports column ...

'' called Hoffman "the best National League closer of his era." Hoffman is one of only three pitchers who have had streaks of four straight seasons with at least 40 saves; Francisco Rodríguez and

Craig Kimbrel Craig Michael Kimbrel (born May 28, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Chicag ...

are the others he achieved it twice. His nine seasons of 40 or more saves are tied for the most all-time. He became one of the Padres' most-popular players. His 15-year stint as their closer was rare for a baseball role that exhibited a high turnover rate. Hoffman had 12 seasons with at least 37 saves, 13 seasons with a sub-3.00 ERA and 14 with an ERA+ of at least 130 (indicating that he was at least 30 percent better than the league average in ERA those years). Four times he was in the top six in voting for the Cy Young Award, including twice as a runner-up. Among pitchers to debut since 1969, he is one of only two ranked in the top 10 for lowest opponents'

batting average against In baseball statistics, batting average against (denoted by BAA or AVG), also known as opponents' batting average (denoted by OBA), is a statistic that measures a pitcher's ability to prevent hits during official at bats. It can alternatively b ...

facing both lefties and righties.

Pedro Martínez Pedro Jaime Martínez (born October 25, 1971) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to , for five teams—most notably the Boston Red Sox from to . At the time o ...

is the other; minimum 2,000 batters faced on a given side Hoffman retired ranked first with 856

games finished In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished (denoted by GF) if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game. Mariano Rivera is th ...

, ninth with 1,035

games pitched In baseball statistics, games pitched (denoted by Games G in tables of only pitching statistics) is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although except ...

, seventh-lowest in

hits per nine innings In baseball statistics, hits per nine innings (denoted by H/9) is the average number of hits allowed by a pitcher in a nine inning period; calculated as: (hits allowed x 9) / innings pitched. This is a measure of a pitcher's success based on the ...

(H/9) at 6.99, and seventh-best in

strikeout-to-walk ratio In baseball statistics, strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB) is a measure of a pitcher's ability to control pitches, calculated as strikeouts divided by bases on balls. A hit by pitch is not counted statistically as a walk, and therefore not counted ...

(K/BB) of 3.69. He had a 2.87 ERA and 1.06

walks plus hits per inning pitched In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. WHIP is calculated by adding the number of walks and hits allowed and dividi ...

(WHIP) for his career. Though he was not a power pitcher, Hoffman was a strikeout pitcher. His 9.36 K/9 was the fifth-highest in MLB history, and highest ever among relievers. Sports journalist Fran Zimniuch wrote in ''Fireman: The Evolution of the Closer in Baseball'' that Hoffman was "a thinking man's closer, using guile rather than heat." As the velocity of his fastball decreased, he compensated with a devastating changeup that is as synonymous a pitch with Hoffman as the splitter is with

Bruce Sutter Howard Bruce Sutter (; January 8, 1953 – October 13, 2022) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1976 and 1988. He was one of the sport's dominant relievers in the late 1970 ...

or the cutter is with

Mariano Rivera Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and "Sandman", he spent most ...

. "It's a tough situation throwing a change-up in the ninth inning, unless you've got Trevor's changeup", closer

Billy Wagner William Edward Wagner (born July 25, 1971), nicknamed "Billy the Kid", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He pitched for the Houston Astros (1995–2003), Philadelphia Phil ...

said. "There's not many guys who have a changeup that's dominating", All-Star third basemen

Scott Rolen Scott Bruce Rolen (born April 4, 1975) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds. He was an eight-t ...

said. "But his is dominating. It's a weapon. That's not usually a word you use with a changeup."

Robb Nen Robb Allen Nen (born November 28, 1969) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He spent most of his career as a closer. He is the son of former major league first baseman Dick Nen. He currently works in the Giants' front ...

, a retired closer, was amazed at how Hoffman got better after he lost velocity on his fastball. "I don't think I could do it, to just lose the ability to throw 95 and still be one of the best. I have tremendous respect for him", Nen said. Another retired closer,

Troy Percival Troy Eugene Percival (born August 9, 1969) is an American baseball coach and former professional baseball pitcher. He gained fame as a closer. During a 14-year baseball career spanning from 1995 to 2009, he pitched for four Major League Baseball ...

, concurred about the difficulty in transforming from a power pitching style. "It's not easy to do. Guys who throw 95, 96 phhave an ego about being able to do that. offmanjust went right into, 'Hey, you know, I throw 87 now. This is what I've got.' And he goes out there and gets it done just as well as he ever did." Trevor Hoffman 500th save

During the time Hoffman held the career record for saves, many still considered Rivera the best closer of all time. Like many other relievers of his era, Hoffman was compared to Rivera and his success in the playoffs. While Hoffman had 601 regular-season saves, he only had four in the playoffs along with a 3.46 postseason ERA. He lacked the postseason opportunities and success of Rivera, who had 42 saves and an 0.70 ERA in the playoffs as the Yankees advanced to the postseason 17 times and won five World Series during his career. During Hoffman's tenure in San Diego, the Padres won at least 90 games only twice and had nine losing seasons, including five with no more than 70 wins. Hoffman, however, did blow a save opportunity in his only World Series appearance and also failed on save tries twice in the final three days of the 2007 season as the Padres vied for the playoffs. Rivera broke Hoffman's career save record in 2011, and finished his career with 652. In 2014, Major League Baseball introduced the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year Award, which is awarded annually to the top reliever in the NL. Hoffman was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018, becoming the sixth member to be elected who was primarily a reliever during their career. Zimniuch wrote that Hoffman and Rivera are "the best of the best of the one-inning closers". Less than 10 percent of Hoffman's saves were over one inning. Closers as a whole have been criticized for pitching almost exclusively in the ninth inning with no runners on base, while star relievers previously were called ''firemen'', entering games in the middle of innings with runners on base and capable of pitching multiple innings. After Hoffman retired, saves became devalued as a primary evaluator of closers, and his career numbers—including

sabermetric Sabermetrics, or originally SABRmetrics, is the empirical analysis of baseball, especially baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. Sabermetricians collect and summarize the relevant data from this in-game activity to answer specific ques ...

statistics like

Wins Above Replacement Wins Above Replacement or Wins Above Replacement Player, commonly abbreviated to WAR or WARP, is a non-standardized sabermetric baseball statistic developed to sum up "a player's total contributions to his team". A player's WAR value is claimed to ...

(WAR),

Win probability added Win probability added (WPA) is a sport statistic which attempts to measure a player's contribution to a win by figuring the factor by which each specific play made by that player has altered the outcome of a game. It is used for baseball and Americ ...

(WPA), and

Jaffe Wins Above Replacement Score The Jaffe Wins Above Replacement Score, commonly abbreviated JAWS, is a sabermetric baseball statistic developed to evaluate the strength of a player's career and merit for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Created by averaging a player's ...

(JAWS)—were more heavily scrutinized than for relievers elected before him. Still, his large volume of saves made him a strong candidate for the Hall of Fame. Some opponents of his induction maintained that his limited innings mitigated his impact compared to starting pitchers who have not been inducted, while others posited that those starters could have excelled as closers, but Hoffman would not have succeeded as a starter. Hoffman pitched innings in his career, which topped only Sutter (1,042) among pitchers in the Hall of Fame. The two are the only Hall of Fame pitchers to never start a game. Trevot Time Miller Mark

Hoffman's entrance into games, accompanied by the playing of "Hells Bells", became popular among fans after it was introduced in 1998.

Tom Verducci Thomas Verducci (born October 23, 1960) is an American sportswriter who writes for ''Sports Illustrated'' and its online magazine SI.com. He writes primarily about baseball. He is also a reporter and commentator for Fox Major League Baseball and ...

of ''

'' wrote that Hoffman's "signature moment is one of the most electrically charged in sports: Padres fans rising and roaring, in Pavlovian fashion, upon hearing the first bell toll, the foreboding bonging like something out of Hitchcock as Hoffman enters slowly, stage right." Opposing closer

Jason Isringhausen Jason Derik Isringhausen ( born September 7, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and coach. He pitched in Major League Baseball from 1995 through 2012 for the New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay ...

said, "'Hells Bells' in San Diego is Trevor. It's like when you go there, you want to intwo out of three so you can hear it once." Bill Center, writing for ''

The San Diego Union-Tribune ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868. Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...

'', once said " offman'sentrance was more suited to the World Wrestling Federation than the national pastime." Other teams contacted the Padres for videos of the "Trevor Time" production. Yankees executives witnessing Hoffman's entrance in 1998 were inspired to use the song "

Enter Sandman "Enter Sandman" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It is the opening track and lead single from their self-titled fifth album, released in 1991. The music was written by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Vocalist a ...

" for Rivera's entrance starting the following season.

Accomplishments

Awards and honors

Active records

''Statistics as of 2011 season''

Former records

Other MLB rankings

*Most saves, career: 601 (2nd) *Lowest H/9, career: 6.99 (7th) *Highest K/BB, career: 3.69 (7th) *Most games pitched, career: 1,035 (9th)

Post-playing career

3rd MAW Morning Colors Ceremony (Image 13 of 13)

Coinciding with his retirement from playing in 2011, Hoffman returned to San Diego as a special assistant to Padres team president and COO Tom Garfinkel. "There's been a turnover of people n the Padres front officewho wanted to reconcile and I've been cool with it. A couple of years definitely makes a big difference", said Hoffman. In addition to his front office role, he also served as an instructor during spring training. In 2014, Hoffman became San Diego's upper-level pitching coordinator, essentially an additional pitching coach for the Padres at their Double-A and Triple-A levels. His new role also involved assisting San Diego general manager

Josh Byrnes Josh Byrnes (born June 23, 1970) is an American baseball executive who is senior vice president of baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Byrnes began his career in 1994 as an intern with the Cleveland I ...

. Under general manager

A. J. Preller A. J. Preller (born June 20, 1977) is the president of baseball operations and general manager of the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was hired by the Padres on August 5, 2014 while serving as the assistant GM for the Texas R ...

in 2015, Hoffman became senior advisor for baseball operations, overseeing pitching instruction at all levels of the Padres' minor league system. Hoffman was the bullpen coach for the Great Britain team during the qualifying round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He was eligible on the basis of his maternal ancestry to England.

Personal life

Hoffman met his wife Tracy in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

, in 1992, where she was a real estate agent and a member of the National Football League's Buffalo Bills cheerleading squad. He asked her to marry him in 1993 while she was on the field during

Super Bowl XXVII Super Bowl XXVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the ...

(which the Bills lost to the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

, 52–17). Hoffman and his wife have three sons: Brody, Quinn, and Wyatt. The family lived in a house in

Rancho Santa Fe, California Rancho Santa Fe is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California, United States, within the San Diego metropolitan area. The population was 3,156 at the 2020 census. The CDP is primarily residential with a few shopping blocks, ...

, for nearly two decades before selling it in 2019. Hoffman's father died of cancer on

Super Bowl Sunday Super Bowl Sunday, officially Super Sunday in the NFL, is the day on which the Super Bowl, the National Football League (NFL)'s annual championship game, is played. Sometimes described as an unofficial national holiday, it recently occurred on t ...

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

. Hoffman donated $200 for every save to the

National Kidney Foundation The National Kidney Foundation, Inc. (NKF) is a voluntary health organization in the United States, headquartered in New York City, with over 30 local offices across the country. Its mission is to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases, impr ...

. In honor of his father, a former

, Hoffman annually paid for game tickets and meals for 1,000 members of the military and their families.

Notes

References

External links

* * * *
Hoffman's Hall of Fame speech
at MLB.com : {{DEFAULTSORT:Hoffman, Trevor 1967 births Living people Arizona Wildcats baseball players Baseball players from Bellflower, California Baseball shortstops Charleston Wheelers players Chattanooga Lookouts players Cedar Rapids Reds players Cypress Chargers baseball players Florida Marlins players Lake Elsinore Storm players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players with retired numbers Milwaukee Brewers players Nashville Sounds players National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees National League All-Stars National League saves champions Sportspeople from Greater Los Angeles San Diego Padres players Great Britain national baseball team people