Trevor Hoffman (2018)


Date of Birth: 10/13/1967
Birthplace: Bellflower, California
College: Cypress College / University of Arizona

Trevor Hoffman has an older brother, Glenn, who played in the major leagues from 1980 through 1987. Glenn also managed the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1998. The younger Hoffman started his baseball career in high school as a shortstop. He continued as a position player in college. In 1988, he led the University of Arizona in batting average with .371. He became a pitcher only after being drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 1989.

First Years in MLB

Hoffman pitched in the Reds' minor league system in 1991 and 1992. The Miami Marlins drafted him in the November, 1992 expansion draft. He pitched in 28 games with the Marlins before they traded him to the San Diego Padres in 1993.

San Diego Padres

After pitching in 39 games with the Padres in 1993, Hoffman became a permanent part of their bullpen. He continued to pitch for San Diego through 2008.

Hoffman's first two full seasons with the Padres were not impressive. In 1994, he had 4 wins and 4 losses, 20 saves, 68 strikeouts to 20 walks, and a 2.57 ERA in 56.0 innings in 47 games. The following season, his ERA jumped up to 3.88. He finished the 1995 season with 7 wins and 4 losses, 31 saves, and 52 strikeouts to 14 walks in 53.1 innings in 55 games.

Hoffman's strikeout numbers increased dramatically in 1996 and 1997, when he struck out a career high 111 batters in each of those seasons. His ERA dropped to 2.25 in 1996 and 2.66 in 1997. He pitched over 80 innings in 70 games in each of the two seasons. He had 42 saves in 1996 and 37 saves in 1997.

Hoffman had one of his best seasons in 1998, winning the NL Rolaids Relief Man award. He led the NL in saves with a career high of 53. He finished the season with a career low ERA of 1.48, 4 wins and 2 losses, and 86 strikeouts to 21 walks in 73.0 innings in 66 games.

Hoffman continued to pitch well from 1999 through 2002. He had 40 saves in 1999, 43 saves in 2000 and 2001, and 38 saves in 2002. His ERA stayed under 3.00 in 1999 (2.14), 2000 (2.99), and 2002 (2.73). In 2001, he had an ERA of 3.43.

Hoffman pitched in just nine games in 2003. His ERA in 2004 and 2005 was again under 3.00 (2.30 in 2004 and 2.97 in 2005) and he had 41 saves in 2004 and 43 saves in 2005. He received the Hutch award in 2004.

The 2006 season was another one of Hoffman's best seasons. That year, he again led the NL in saves with 46 and he won both the NL Rolaids Relief Man award and the Sporting News Reliever of the Year award. He finished the season with 46 saves, 50 strikeouts to 13 walks, and a 2.14 ERA in 63.0 innings in 65 games. He received the Lou Gehrig Memorial award in 2006.

In 2007, Hoffman continued pitching well for the Padres, finishing with 42 saves and a 2.98 ERA in 57.1 innings in 61 games. He pitched in 48 games in 2008 and he had a 3.77 ERA and 30 saves in 45.1 innings. He was awarded with the Branch Rickey award in 2008 for community service.

Milwaukee Brewers

Hoffman became a free agent on November 1, 2008, and he signed with the Milwaukee Brewers on January 8, 2009. In 2009, he had a 1.83 ERA and 37 saves in 54.0 innings in 55 games. He pitched in 50 games in 2010, and he had a 5.89 ERA. He had 2 wins and 7 losses, 10 saves, and 30 strikeouts to 19 walks in 47.1 innings.

Awards and MLB Records

  • Rolaids Relief Man (2 times)
  • Sporting News Reliever of the Year
  • Hutch award
  • Branch Rickey award
  • Lou Gehrig Memorial award
  • Led NL in saves (2 times)

Career Statistics

Career pitching statistics for Hoffman include:

  • 1,035 games played
  • 1,089.1 innings pitched
  • 61-75 win-loss record
  • 601 saves
  • 1,133 strikeouts to 307 walks
  • 2.87 ERA

Career postseason pitching statistics for Hoffman include:

  • 12 games played
  • 13.0 innings pitched
  • 1-2 win-loss record
  • 4 saves
  • 14 strikeouts to 5 walks
  • 3.46 ERA

Post Playing Years

After retiring as a player, Hoffman spent several years working for the Padres. In 2011, he was hired as a special assistant to the team president and chief operating officer. Three years later, he was a pitching coach in the Padres' minor league system. He became a senior advisor for baseball operations in 2015. His job in that position included overseeing pitching instruction for minor league teams.

Hoffman was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2018 on the third ballot with 79.9% of the vote.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Trevor Hoffman
ESPN - Trevor Hoffman
Baseball Reference - Trevor Hoffman

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