All-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman told MLB.com's Barry Bloom that he is retiring. Hoffman walks away with 601 career saves, a 2.87 ERA and 1133 strikeouts in 1089 1/3 innings for the Marlins, Padres and Brewers. After 18 seasons in the big leagues, he says he's ready to call it a career.
"It's time to retire. It's time to move on," Hoffman told Bloom. "This is more of a self-evaluation. I expect to pitch at a certain level and I had to be honest with myself that I wasn't certain I could maintain that anymore."
It seemed possible that the Padres or D'Backs could sign Hoffman to play and he did draw some interest this offseason, but the 43-year-old is moving to a different side of the game. He will return to the Padres in a front office role.
The seven time All-Star agreed to decline the Brewers' offer of arbitration after the season. If he had signed a major league deal with another team, Milwaukee would have obtained a supplementary first round pick in this year's draft.
You did a good job dude. Congrats.
WOW, just like that its over.
So when will Rivera pass him?
dont be so sure. a lot of things have to happen for that. its not exactly crazy to think that a player in his 40s is not injury prone. he could easily hurt his arm this year and never pass him. people talked about alex rodriguez like he would easily pass barry bonds and while thats still possible, its not a sure thing anymore.
2012 most likely. He only needs 42 more
only 42 more saves, sounds like a lock for 2011
Mariano will pass in this yr sept 5th- sept. 25th
within those 20 or so games thats when he will pass Hoffman as the all time Saves Leader
He had one hell of a ride
oops, i thought this was the trevor hoffman thread? i guess i need to post my congrats to him in the mariano rivera thread?
Great career, consistent production throughout his career, hopefully Cooperstown bound.
Can’t argue with 601 saves. Great career but as a Yankee fan it will be great to see Rivera become the all-time save leader or at least he should.
Good. Now hopefully Mo can eventually take over for his deserved spot at the top of the saves list.
Just for this Comment I hope Mo doesn’t get it.
Haha exactly. I hate Yankee fans.
I don’t hate them, there are a few that actually know and love baseball. Most are super biased, arrogant, and other things that aren’t family friendly. All fans are biased to a point, but they seemed to be 10 times more than a normal fan.
Better start writing your Class of 2016 Hall of Fame Speech!
Never know with some of the idiots out there that have ballots.
Exactly a writer in Pittsburgh said he did not vote for robby alomar because he spit on an ump. Now while i agree that is a bad offense its not the hall of morality its the hall of fame and he had a great career deserving of the hall. The steriods era has nothing to do with morals its all on how it helped boast the stats of players making them get millions of dollers more than they would have without PEDs. Sorry but i had a feeling someone would bring up Steriods when i mentioned morals so i just beat them to the punch.
“Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.”
Direct from the BBWAA website. A player’s integrity, sportsmanship and character counts. Now I agree that although Alomar’s incident was ugly and showed very poor character, one incident shouldn’t discredit what was otherwise a great and classy career.
There are quite a few big names in Cooperstown that skim that integrity and character line pretty closely. I’d even go as far to say that if the truth were entirely known that they would have been ineligible for induction.
There are quite a few big names in Cooperstown that skim that integrity and character line pretty closely. I’d even go as far to say that if the truth were entirely known that they would have been ineligible for induction.
Is this the same nut (writer) that left Jason Heyward off of his ROY ballot in favor of Neil Walker and Jose Tabata?
What’s the Brewers’ compensation for a Type B FA joining another team’s front office? A supplemental second rounder?
Just kidding…congrats on a great career, Trevor. You have approximately 5 years to hone your acceptance speech for Cooperstown.
HOF no doubt. what a career. from miami, to san diego, and to finish it all off in milwaukee.
Great man, great pitcher, Hall of Famer. Enough said.
Great pitcher but 0% chance of first ballot HOFer just because of the competition and they never vote in more than 3 guys per year. 2014: Maddux, Frank Thomas, Glavine, Kent, Mussina
2015: Randy Johnson, Pedro Martines, Smoltz, Sheffield, Delgado
2016: Hoffman, Griffey maybe Chipper
and by then he wont be the all-time saves leader. It will take him a while to get into the HOF, probably in the 2020s
Well first off Mussina should not be in the hall, good pitcher but by no means a great pitcher. Secondly, considering the recent trends in voting, Shef is a long shot to get in.
Even if he isn’t holding the save record by the time his vote comes up, he’s still the first pitcher ever to record 600 saves. There would be a bit of outrage if he doesn’t get in on the first try.
If Blyleven is a HOF, then Mussina will be too. He surely won’t be a 1st balloter, and it will probably take several years before he makes it, but he will.
Sheffield and Delgado are not the locks one would think they would be. They will likely take just as long as Mussina.
Hoffman, however, clearly deserves to be in the HOF, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was 1st ballot. It should take him no more than 5 years on the ballot to get in (at least, if the voters were sane).
But, then again, even though there isn’t any evidence or any real reason to suspect it, there’s always the chance that the writers will be suspicious that he did steriods for some reason and not vote for him. Because they’re that stupid.
Hoffman has a very good chance of entering the Hall in 2014. Maddux and Glavine are pretty much a given . Mussina is not a HOFer and will not go in on the first ballot for sure.Thomas is borderline as is Kent and both had issues with the media, so neither are a good bet to enter on the first ballot. Hoffman deserves to be elected on the first try.
Thomas is borderline?
I’m going to have to stay away from HOF discussions on this site, according to this thread.
I think a lot of power hitters from this age are borderline simply because of guilt by association. Thomas and Bagwell have fairly similar career stat lines yet Bagwell didn’t even come close. I think Thomas should get in, but I have to wonder if on the first few ballots the voters will shy away from power hitters.
I stopped reading at “Thomas is borderline”. You lost a lot of credibility for those few words, bro.
Thomas is sure fire HOFer to Chi Sox fans everywhere. Not automatic everywhere else.
thomas will get in based on the fact that he is one of the true power hitters, who had a good career average and an amazing career obp and slg and was clean the entire time and was a huge voice against roids.
Thomas may indeed get into the Hall. I certainly didn’t mean to imply that he wasn’t a great player, just that he’s not an automatic HOFer. If you look at his numbers for his last 6-7 years, they’re not exactly HOF credentials. He seemed to just compile stats more than anything else.His glove work was never anything great, which is why he became a full time DH later.He had problems with the press, which may affect the voting, so that’s why I feel he’s borderline. He compares with Albert Bell, though not that he was ever the jerk Bell was, but as the numbers go. A better similarity would be Jim Rice, who waited years before making the Hall.
Thomas’s numbers dwarf both Rice’s and Belle’s. It’s not even close.
Rice played in a different era and Belle was Manny Ramirez before Manny became Manny. If you’re trying to diminish Belle, then you never saw him play. He was one of the top 2 or 3 hitters in both leagues for 5 years +.
The only reason Frank Thomas has better counting numbers is that Belle had a career-ending injury right after he hit 30. Thomas continued as a slogger until age 40.
Frankly (no pun intended) I’d be tempted to vote for Belle bofore Thomas.
The Hall has averaged only 1 first ballot hall of famer since 2000. A couple of the years have had multiple and some none. I’d say Maddux is a safe first ballot guy, but maybe not Glavine…or too many other players for that matter. First ballot guys have been Robin Yount..George Brett…Ozzie Smith. The writers seem to draw a distinction between the first ballot and subsequent ballots.
The Hall has averaged only 1 first ballot hall of famer since 2000. A couple of the years have had multiple and some none. I’d say Maddux is a safe first ballot guy, but maybe not Glavine…or too many other players for that matter. First ballot guys have been Robin Yount..George Brett…Ozzie Smith. The writers seem to draw a distinction between the first ballot and subsequent ballots.
randy-yes, pedro-yes those two probably 1st ballot at worst 3rd ballots…maddox-obviously 2nd ballot likely. Thomas-should be 1st ballot at worst 4th.he was clean the entire time(the thing that will hurt him for some stupid reason he was a DH for a huge chunk of his career) Kent-probably but his attitude for most of his career will turn some voters away(wrong i know but these guys feel like the mlb moral police when in reality they are given votes to vote for hall of famers not guys they like)
Hoffman will for sure on 2nd at worst ballot- he may not be the all time leader by the time mo is done but he was the first and his other numbers are amazing. girffey maybe not same with chipper…
randy-yes, pedro-yes those two probably 1st ballot at worst 3rd ballots…maddox-obviously 2nd ballot likely. Thomas-should be 1st ballot at worst 4th.he was clean the entire time(the thing that will hurt him for some stupid reason he was a DH for a huge chunk of his career) Kent-probably but his attitude for most of his career will turn some voters away(wrong i know but these guys feel like the mlb moral police when in reality they are given votes to vote for hall of famers not guys they like)
Hoffman will for sure on 2nd at worst ballot- he may not be the all time leader by the time mo is done but he was the first and his other numbers are amazing. girffey maybe not same with chipper…
There are only 5 relievers in the HOF and the magical 300 save plateau has been broken by the likes of Roberto Hernandez and Doug Jones in recent years.
600 saves is impressive but it speaks more to longevity than dominance. Compared to all of the closers in the past 20 years, is Hoffman the dominant guy? He needs to be because that’s where the bar has been set by the past HOF relievers.
I think he’s in the second tier because of the lack of rings. Rivera is a lock. Smoltz is a lock considering the 300 saves and his track record as a starter. Hoffman I’m not sold on. He only led the league in saves once or twice – without the all time lead at vote time, I think he gets bumped down a notch.
A first ballot HOF’er. Can’t say that for many people can you. Congratulations Trever for having a great career and being a role model both on and off the field. Cooperstown awaits you !
Hoffman is going to a first round in MLB Hall of Fame. He is first player in the history of the game to have 600 saves. I have no doubt he will be in the hall of fame in five years. Amazing Job
He definitely deserves to be in first ballot. He is also extremely well respected and well thought of throughout the game. That always helps with the voters.
Great career. It’s a shame he pitched on so many bad teams and only had 13 IP in the post season. HOFer nonetheless.
most of those bad teams were the Padres…
Yes I know. I just meant it would have been cool to see both him and Rivera, the two best closers of all time, dominate in the playoffs. From everything I’ve seen and read he seems like a real stand up guy. You can’t help but root for the good guys.
Well Griffey is will go in first ballot in 2016, and Chipper might be in that class to take votes away also. Smoltz will also probably be a holdover from the previous year and will take some of Hoffman’s votes. If you pay any attention to the way the voters actually work you would realize hes not going in first ballot, even if he deserves it.
They can vote for more than one guy.
Smoltz is first ballot.
First Kris Benson, now Trevor Hoffman. This is a really tough day for MLB
Am I going to be the only Brewers fan to say this came a year late?
After his stellar 2009 season and proven career track record, it was pretty hard to see him blowing all those early saves in 2010 like he did. Anyone who says they saw it coming is a liar.
well, there goes the Jays closer of the future.
I still half expect him to sign a one day deal with San Diego during spring training so he can retire a Padre.
That would be sweet!
Lee Smith was the first player to reach 400 saves he will be on his 10th ballot next year and has never had more than 50% of the vote.
Lee Smith BLEW over 100 saves!
Your point? Goose Gossage, Rollie Fingers, and Bruce Sutter all had over 100 blown saves and they made it to the HOF.
They did it throwing 3 innings as well.
They did it throwing 3 innings as well.
Lee Smith vs Hoffman’s career as a closer… not even close IMO.
Also Hoffman will one day end up being part of the rare HOF for HOF trade, he was traded for Gary Sheffield, among others.
He is not eligible until 2016. By then he will have Griffey and maybe Chipper Jones on their first ballots, and potential hold overs John Smoltz, Gary Sheffield, Jeff Kent. Its just too crowded for Hoffman for a while
very good point
good point if people could only vote for one guy at a time…and chipper may not be on the ballot by then and dont assume griffey is going to make it on his first…out of your group you posted smoltz is the only first ballot based on his career as a starter and closer
@ Mike M Good point now that Bert is in Lee should be the next snuff to be elected in.
I never Lee Smith should be in, just Hoffman will have a similar HOF voting experience to him but Hoffman should get in sooner.
Why should Hoffman get in sooner when Lee has been waiting for 10 years to be in?
Because he was better than Smith
@ start wearing purple They almost have too with players like Bonds, Palmero, Mcgwire, Sosa, Tejeda,Pettitte, Clemens, Giambi, AROD,ect…
The only power hitter guareented in is Griffy Jr.
reply button????
He may deserve it but it wont happen
Why not have Hoffman and Lee voted in on the same year?
Because Lee doesn’t belong in the HOF?
Are you a Lee Smith fan? For that to happen, Smith would have to wait until 2016 or 2017 for his induction, his 14th and 15th attempts. If you are a Smith fan, why would you want him to wait like that? Just to be elected with Hoffman? I think that if two relievers go in simultaneously, it cheapens the moment as people will get tired of hearing about closers and writers will opine about how the Hall is getting watered down.
Trevor Hoffman has a lower career WAR than Jim Rice, and he would be one of the least valuable HOFers ever.
That said, I still think he should get in. But to call him 1st ballot is jumping the gun a little bit.
you know what else is jumping the gun? using WAR for relief pitchers. This is the equivalent to using wOBA totals for pitchers to measure there worth.
WAR itself is stupid…just read the definition of it in the bullpen section. I mean seriously.. GM’s and scouts don’t use it so why should anyone else. GM..ya I signed so and so to a 7 yr 100 mil contract cuz he had a 6.8 WAR.. hahaha ya he just got fired.. stupid made up stat.
aren’t all stats made up? WAR isn’t entirely stupid but the fangraphs value figures they set on WAR..that is sort of stupid. Your worth what the market dictates your worth. But WAR itself is a good objective way to compare players that encompasses essentially the entire range of the game. But it is a counting stat which in lies the flaws for relief pitchers as they have a much more limited role.
2016 will have Griffey, maybe Chipper, and likely holdovers Smoltz, Sheffield, Kent, Mussina. By that point some of the current guys will have climbed into the 60% voting territory like Larry Walker, Tim Raines or Edgar. Its just too crowded to elect a closer who isnt the career leader.
What really surprised me is how much support Barry Larkin got. He was a very good player but he in no way deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. he was always injured, never had any numbers or achievements that scream greatness. If he or Bagwell get in I’m done with the Hall of Fame and don’t even care about it anymore. If anyone thinks Bagwell didn’t do steroids they are just kidding themselves.
OK then please argue why Hoffman is better than Rivera as of now. I hate the Yankees and think Rivera is vastly overrated, but among closers he is head and shoulders above everyone else. You are telling me you would rather take Hoffman as your team’s closer over Rivera in their prime because Hoffman has 42 more saves now?
Hoffman never got a shot at going to the playoffs almost every single year. Imagine if he did, I bet some would call him the greatest closer ever.
’98 padres was he hurt? Yankees Swept SD
that was 1 year
I said almost every year, and you name one? I’m aware of what happened in the ’98 series thank you, I went to one of the games
How is Rivera vastly overrated if he is head and shoulders above everyone else?
If you call Rivera overrated, then Eck, Fingers, Gossage, Hoffman etc. are overrated as well.
you forgot to mention Lee Smith I guess he would be overrated too
Blowing 103 Saves…. twice the % blown compared to Hoffman or Rivera….yeah, only human… not at the same level.
Then statistically speaking Rose was a better contact hitter than Ty Cobb
yes, that is a valid argument. whats your point. rose may have very well been a better contact hitter. its very hard to compare players from totally different time periods.
Would the best contact hitter at least have a .400 season (Cobb), a outragous hitting streak (Dimaggio), or an out-of control gambling problem???? Just kidding, but seriously wouldn’t Cobb’s AVG. come into play here?
That’s what happens when you make gentleman agreements not to take arb, you screw yourself up. He didn’t make that agreement 2 years ago with the pads, why would he make it with the Brewers??
Is there a way we vote you off of this board due to the baseball ignorance of this statement.
if you dont put a reply, then we dont know who your talking about……
#51-You showed us humility and true athleticism. You gave us pride to be Brewers fans, you also sometimes gave us heart attacks. You showed us that a 40+ year old could still be a dominant force. You gave our kids a hero to look up to; a real hero. A “true professional”, a “class act”, a “mentor” were all phrases that we heard when the media wrote about you, other players commented on you, and teammates used to describe you. You provided some of my most cherished Brewers memories and for that I am truly grateful. Thank you #51 for being all that you were. In Milwaukee, it will always be, Trevor Time.
Every time I “read” something like “this” I have the feeling that the “person” who “wrote” this is “speaking” with “air” “quotes” “”
I am not saying what I would vote for, I am telling you what will happen based on the long, consistane way the voters vote. Lee Smith retired as a career saves leader and the first ever with 400 saves, yet he is on his 10th ballot never being close. Griffey and Chipper are >> candidates than Hoffman, not to mention others guys will be around with increasing support from previous years like Smoltz, Kent, Sheffield, Mussina, Larry Walker Edgar Martinez, Tim Raines maybe also Curt Schilling.
The only time since 1962 there have been 3 1st ballot players elected was 1999 with Nolan Ryan, all-time K leader, George Brett (3000 hits, WS, MVP) and Robin Yount (3000 hits 2x MVP) and Yount only made it by ~10 votes….with 3000 hits.
And Carlton Fisk was passed by!
Ron Santo deserves it too he was domitate in the 60’s Mike Schmidt is keeping him out.. the only think Santo doesn’t have is 500 HRs he has more gold gloves equal or more all star game appearances.. the point is Barry Larkin was screwed and the last 15 yrs Santo was screwed and now he’s gone may be R.I.P.
Just to further your point on Santo, he had a higher WAR than Ernie Banks or Ryne Sandberg. How is he not a HOFer when he is best offensive player in Cubs history?
He is overrated compared to SP, he is no where near as valuable as a Clemens/Maddux/Johnson type yet Yankee fans love to argue he is.
I”m a Yankee fan and never argued about that.
Still haven’t mastered the use of the Reply button, huh?
I can’t stand the Yankees , big time Red Sox fan here but I would take Mariano over Hoffman any day. Hoffman when he did have to handle pressure such as All Star game and World Series blew it. I’ve seen Yankee fans want to jump off a bridge when Mariano blew 2 saves in a row! To this day even at his age none better case closed.
If Hoffman pitched in a major city he would have probably had half the saves he did. Pitching for losing teams with NO PRESSURE a lot easier.
recording saves for a team that doesn’t have many leads going into the ninth is pretty tough too
I don’t think that any save oppertunity is a NO PRESSURE situation.
Yankees fans…
Sad to see him go. Good luck to him in the future as a pitching coach or what ever he may desire.
I’m just saying if he ever pitched in NY, Philly, or Boston, I don’t think he would have been so effective. A lot different when your playing in front of 15-20 thousand and little media compared to playing in a big city. Believe me Mariano is the best. You don’t need to be all time saves leader, Koufax was considered the greatest lefty ever and what did have 6-7 great years out of 12? Look at the other team when Mariano pitches. They look like they have fear in the their eyes before they come to bat. Can you tell me any other reliever that does that?
Koufax was great alright, but best lefty probably goes to Lefty Grove. Of his 300 wins, 250+ of them were complete game victories…. thats just sick IMO!
Different era though. The ERA a player played in means a lot to their numbers. Want a good laugh go look at Old Hoss Radburns stats. The greatest fantasy pitcher ever man. hahaha
So… If the 1930’s era inflated a pitcher’s numbers, do you think Ruth’s 714 means more like 800 plus homers today?
more like 900. and if he never pitched an inning and started out as a full time hitter. I mean if those guys played in todays parks….
To me, the best thing about baseball is the fact that a game that was played 70 years ago can still have meaning today, and stats are remarkably consistent compared to NBA or NFL. I think the bottom line is that in baseball, regardless of changes to the mound or the fences in the parks anyone can see that those guys in the past could really play. I mean, with only 8 teams in each league, you had to be good.
You have to admit that the game is a lot different. Players have changed. There are now players of every race. the players take better care of themselves during and away from the season. players don’t have to sell insurance in the off-season. lol Also the philosophies of how to manage the game has changed drastically. Pitchers are restricted work wise. The specialist player has career in his own right unlike previous years. In the early days of baseball the game was taken less seriously. By that I mean today’s players receive better coaching and training early on and during their careers. What if Pitchers had scouted Ruth..or the opposite?
Certainly, nothing ever stays the same forever. Barring non whites from playing baseball was terrible and only the inclusion from people from all over the world has kept the talent pool up. As far as coaching and training… baseball was really the only sport that kids played in the early 20th century, not like today where baseball can no longer claim to be “America’s Game”. There were so many semi-pro leagues that are now defunct feeding only 16 teams, and the talent was cheap to sign. Instead of scouting reports, players made their own advantages (i.e. spiking), pitchers could throw at batters’ heads and not get ejected. I still firmly believe that the elite level players were every bit as good as anyone today…
I disagree. If black players were allowed to play in MLB back then some players who we all know may never have gotten a shot. My heart aches to know what Cool Papa Bell would have done at the major league level and who in my mind is the greatest pitcher ever Satchel Paige would have done. It’s actually very sad that we will never know. How about Satchel Paige vs. Joe Dimaggio? That would have been nice to see on a regular basis.
COOL PAPA BELL WAS !!! He was credited with circling the bases in 13.1 seconds!!! Who’s Rickey Henderson? LOL!!! People in New York thought Dimaggio was going to be good as a rookie because he was actually able to collect a hit off of Satchel Paige! Sadly, what makes Paige the greatest pitcher ever, in my mind was that he piched in one of the greatest baseball games ever played at Yankee stadium in 1934 and nobody knows why. It’s too bad fans don’t realize how good he was. The fact that Paige is included in the HOF aknowledges stats he achieved in the Negro Leagues for sure. I definately recognize all of the Veterans Comittee nominations to the HOF of players from the Negro Leagues, even if they were never given the chance to play alongside their fellow ballplayers in MLB.
Personally I want to know how good would Josh Gibson have been in the majors. And yeah, Paige versus anyone would have been great. I also think the fact that Buck O’Neil isn’t in the Hall is a travesty. He may not have been the greatest ever of the Negro Leagues but he was one of baseball’s greatest ambassadors.
Yup. The great american ballplayers of the past (of all races) grew up with a harder life. Piage worked as a child at a train station. Babe Ruth had an industrial school for boys(juvie hall). Mantle had 12+ hr days on the farm. Many were war vets. This type of life fortified them in a way that todays young athletes (or any of us) seldom are….15 days on the DL for a hammie, please! I doubt if Josh Gibson or Buck O’ Neil ever sat the pine over a minor injury. I think Mantle played though some pain that would make a lot of today’s guys puke. Modern training routines and sports medicine are wonderful, but the old guys were hardcore.
You should watch Ken Burns’ Baseball. Great documentary. Anyway, the 5th Inning is mostly about the Negro Leagues. One of the former players Burns was interviewing, don’t remember which, could have been Buck O’Neil, was talking about how they played through just about any injury.
Personally I want to know how good would Josh Gibson have been in the majors. And yeah, Paige versus anyone would have been great. I also think the fact that Buck O’Neil isn’t in the Hall is a travesty. He may not have been the greatest ever of the Negro Leagues but he was one of baseball’s greatest ambassadors.
How would today’s coaches even give a scouting report on Paige? He constantly invented new pitches which leads me to think that the game back then was just as much a cat-and-mouse as anything today where players constantly train and watch endless hours of tape. That’s how Baseball is different…but the same.
Ty Cobb stole 96 bases in 1915, and probably injured many second baseman in the process…. does that make him a better ballplayer or a worse ballplayer?
Actually I think Ruth would have less home runs today. Don’t get me wrong, I think he would be a spectacular power hitter in any age but he the first power hitter of the live ball era, that certainly helped.
We’re talking about a time period though when if you started a game you were pretty much expected to finish it.
If we’re going to start talking about top lefty pitchers I’d say Grove would definitely be in the top 5, but it would become subjective. Grove, Koufax, Carlton, Johnson, and Spahn would probably be in my top 5, but I don’t know the order.
Thanx for the shout out to Spahn (I’ll admit, I’m a Braves fan). Winningest Lefty Ever.
Spahn did give up that homer to a 75 year old Luke Appling at an old timer’s game though… I guess I’ll let it silde, he was a little past his prime at 61.
He never recorded a 200 hit season, he played in over 150 games only 4 times over a 19 yr career, not including his rookie year in which he played in 41 games Larkin played in 110 games or less 7 times not including his last year where he played in 111 games, he scored over 100 runs only twice, and had 500 AB’s only 7 times. If Larkin id a Hall of Fame player then Bernie Williams is a shoe in. I hate the Yankees but clearly Bernie is more deserving than Larkin. In fact, many players are more deserving than Larkin. Larkin was very good, but not great. Sorry but the stats don’t warrant a plaque. he was injured way too often.
Both of them seem like veteran’s commitee guys to me… HOF class of 2034.
Both decent, actually much better than decent… Hall of Famers in a Richie Ashburn, Phil Rizzuto kind of way.
I agree with the Asburn comparison to an extent, but Rizzuto was a key part of a team that won 7 world series titles.
I just meant that Larkin and Williams broadly fit the mold of veterans commitee guys… didn’t mean to imply any direct comparisons… sorry ’bout that, was just being a cynical SoB.
Larkin is prob. gonna get in next year cuz the class next year sux. the best 1st yr player is Bernie Williams.
I guess I would compare Larkin directly to Joe Cronin.
Poor Kris Benson.
Trying to compare Hoffman to Rivera is a disservice to Trevor, Rivera is the Best based on Post seasons alone, but Hoffman stands up their all on his own.its Like comparing Babe Ruth and Ted Williams, you dont need to trash on Hoffman to know Mariano was great and Trevor doesnt need to feel ashamed or make appologies because Mariano had the opportunities in the playoffs either.
two great closers
Exactly. We don’t know who’s the best, but they’re both great in their own right.
Exactly. We don’t know who’s the best, but they’re both great in their own right.
Thanks for the memories. You had a great run, and your last year was up and down, but I was glad to see you get your 600th save and close out the year on an up note.
Time to enjoy your family!
As much as I hate to take the spotlight away from Hoffman.
Let’s keep in mind that there is a difference between being the best closer ever, to having the most saves ever. I think you see where I’m going with this…
If a player is a Hall of Famer..he’s a Hall of Famer..period. The notion that in 10 or 15 years he’ll be one is ludicrous in most circumstances.
Can someone tell me why Yankee fans are such POS? Give Trevor Hoffman his due. And STFU about Rivera. This thread is NOT about him. IF he passes Hoffman then start talking about it. Until then go slither back under your rock.
I’m disappointed in this thread. I come here for the intelligent commentary from what I perceive as real baseball fans. This is about a future Hall of Fame player’s retirement, not about who was best. Hoffman is one of the best athletes I’ve ever watched. He kept Padres fans on the edge of their seats for years. He was a player to root for, get excited for, and brag about. Growing up in San Diego, he was the pitcher all of us little leaguers aspired to be. Leave it to one of the best to bring out the troll in everyone else. Success breeds jealousy and I guess he was just that good. People can’t give him his time of day. This isn’t about Mariano Rivera. This is about the all-time saves leader hanging them up. Congrats Hoff, I can’t wait to watch you get into the Hall.
overrated