Trevor Hoffman Saves

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Lore & Background

Hoffman played shortstop collegiately at the University of Arizona and was drafted in the 11th round by the Cincinnati Reds. After not having much success batting, 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 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 retired. Hoffman collected at least 30 saves each year for the next 14 years with San Diego, except for 2003 when he missed most of the year recovering from shoulder surgery. After the Padres 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 NL Cy Young Award. 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. Though Hoffman entered the majors with a powerful fastball, 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 changeups in baseball. Hoffman's entrance at home games accompanied by the AC/DC song 'Hells Bells' was popular with fans.

In Their Own Story

In his debut with San Diego after a mid-1993 trade involving Gary Sheffield, Hoffman faced immediate hostility from fans who booed him. He allowed three runs in his one-inning debut and eight runs over his first three outings, blowing his first save opportunity. Despite these rough starts, he found stability the following year. During the strike-shortened 1994 season, he took over closer duties from an injured Gene Harris in mid-April, recording 20 saves with a 2.57 ERA. He pitched through pain during the 1995 spring training and regular season, finally undergoing rotator cuff surgery after the year. His resilience defined his tenure, leading to fourteen 30-save seasons and two streaks of four consecutive 40-save campaigns.

Reader's Guide

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 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.

Did You Know?

• Hoffman was born on October 13, 1967, in Bellflower, California. When he was six weeks old, he had to have a damaged kidney removed because an arterial blockage had formed there.
• His father, Ed, was a Marine and a veteran of the Battle of Iwo Jima, later a professional singer and an usher at California Angels games known as the Singing Usher.
• Hoffman's mother, Mikki, was an English-born ballerina whose father was a professional soccer player with Southend United FC.
• Hoffman's older brother Glenn played shortstop in the Boston Red Sox organization.
• Hoffman developed his changeup in 1995, after a shoulder injury in 1994 permanently diminished his fastball velocity.