Let's talk Hoffman

[BadgerFan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah....we're only 6 games into the season, small sample size, etc...BUT, I want to know what everyone thinks about Trevor Hoffman.

 

Is he still an elite closer who had a bad series? Or are hitters adjusting to the fact that his fastball isn't what it used to be and are now sitting on one pitch? Is it time to panic? Will Hawkins be closing games for us some time this summer?

 

Hard to answer any of those questions, just wanted to get others' opinions. Count me in as one who will be sweating bullets in a one run game where Hoffman has to face Aramis Ramirez, Derek Lee or Soriano this week in Chicago.

[PeaveyFury]

Or are hitters adjusting to the fact that his fastball isn't what it used to be and are now sitting on one pitch?

 

But tonight both HR's were off fastballs, which is very puzzling. I honestly don't think he threw 3 changeups in the 9th tonight.

[Funketown]

Eh, maybe not Soriano.

 

I'm not too worried about it. He struggled down the stretch last year, and he certainly isn't the pitcher he was five years ago, but I'd be very surprised if he fell off a cliff over the offseason.

[logan82]

I think we should have waited a bit to sign him and signed him for about half of what we did or just gone with Hawkins as a closer. I think he will be good for the most part this season. Hopefully they won't stick with him if this continues though. He was just unlucky Friday night. Tonight was much worse since it looked like he didn't pitch well.

[kestrel79]

He dosn't seem to be spotting his fastballs on the corners like he was last season and getting ahead of hitters right away. The umps aren't giving it to him on the close ones on the corner or he misses. And the lack of changeups is baffling me as well, but I think it all comes down to him pumping that first pitch strike on the low corner first pitch and getting ahead in the count. Set that changeup up.

 

And the Brewers need to take that sign down.

[tigerbrew]

If I'm not mistaken, that homer two days ago was off his changeup.

 

I think Trevor's stuff just isn't good, his fastball is slow and his changeup seems to have decline. He's not fooling hitters like he use to, hope he can make some adjustments.

[logan82]

FYI, Gameday has him throwing only one changeup in the 9th tonight.

[The Truth]

He's 42 years old, at some point he will no longer have it anymore. My hope is that that point will be after this season, or after his final season as a Brewer. At this time its too early to tell, but small sample and all it ain't lookin' great...

[DHonks]

to be honest folks, I told everyone entering this series (friends and fam, not bfan.net) that I absolutely hate how the Cards must be the best team in MLB history AFTER the 7th inning. In the last few years, it seems like the Cards are always winning late in the game, often in lucky fashion.

 

Hoffy will do great this year, starting tomorrow.

[Oldcity]

Not sure why he stayed away from the change so much. I'm not worried; he just didn't locate his fastball tonight at all.

[owbc]

He has the same fastball velocity as last year, so I do not think he is done.

 

As others have mentioned, the lack of changeups is the likely cause. He can not survive on only fastballs, no matter how good his location is. Perhaps he is having issues because of the lack of spring training games.

 

I would not expect any change from Macha until he blows 3-4 more saves, at least. We really need him--the bullpen is set up very nicely right now, very few teams have the luxury of a pitcher of Coffey's caliber to use in middle-inning jams.

[Tbadder]

With less offense than last year, I think we'll see more save situations this year. With more of anything comes more variation, chance of a bad run etc. For now, I'm not worried, but if he blows half of his next 8 opportunities then I'd push the Hawkins button.

[BREWCREW5]

This is just a rough patch for him. It sucks, but at least the Brewers managed to win this one. All players go through rough patches. He will be fine.

[Crew2323]

While I have some concern about Hoffman, I'm not too worried. Stavinoha hit a homer off his knees, and it was no cheapy. And tonight Hoffman faced two of the better hitters in all baseball in Pujols and Holiday. Sure, it stinks that he blew the lead and gave up back-to-back bombs, but I'd be more concerned if he were getting beat by Jason Kendall types than the Pujols/Holidays of the league. I still have confidence in him going forward, but I would agree that the number of fastballs he's throwing compared to change-ups is a bit puzzling.

[SenatorShriv]

Funny, I was going to start this thread tonight but I was thinking about how to do it to make it not about the performance during the Cardinals series and rather about Hoffman's stuff or something like that. The home run by Stavinoha seemed like a great pitch, but I've made comments during all of his appearances so far this year saying that he looks like he's lost a tick on his fastball. I would be interested to see if his fastball has lost 1 or 2 mph from the last two years. That could make a lot of difference in the effectiveness of his change up and slider. I'm hoping that it is just a bad start to the season and haven't even begun to lose faith in him.

 

Does anyone remember where his fastball was sitting last year?

[sargennm]

I'm not going to overreact. I still can't believe Stavinoha hit that HR out, but I'm not ready to stick a fork in Trevor. But if things continue the downward trend, the Brewers need to react quickly. I would hate to see the Brewers fix the SP and front end bullpen problems and have the closer screw up the season. Man, it just seems they can't get a pitching staff together. One year its middle relief, next year is closer, the next year its the starters ...

[Ennder]

He gave up a joke of a HR to a crappy player and then HR to 2 of the better hitters in the NL. NOt worried at all at this point.

[Marc Newfield of Dreams]

I wonder how much of this is on the pitches being called as well. I'm not sure if the catchers are handling him as well as they could be. He's gotta be changing speeds more often, these hitters are timing the fastball big time.

 

It will be interesting to see if he gets the ball tomorrow. 30 pitch night outing followed by a day game.

[AdvantageSchneider]

Got this off the AP wire.

 

Hoffman's last four blown saves have all come against the Cardinals.

 

Perhaps the cards have spotted something on Trevor that no one else has. Or it's just a fluke. Not going to worry about it until he blows one against somebody else, or we play the cardinals again.

[True CryM]

I wonder how much of this is on the pitches being called as well. I'm not sure if the catchers are handling him as well as they could be. He's gotta be changing speeds more often, these hitters are timing the fastball big time.

 

It will be interesting to see if he gets the ball tomorrow. 30 pitch night outing followed by a day game.

At 42 years old, Hoffman is way too experienced to let the catcher dictate the pitches he wants to throw. He'll throw the pitch he wants, not what the catcher wants. His problems thus far are not being good enough with his fastball. He's just not locating it enough to be effective. Once he starts hitting corners consistently, the changeup will become devastating again. His stuff isn't any different than it's been for the last three years. It's his location that's off.

 

[The Big Cheese]

Not gonna lie, Trevor is starting to make me more nervous when he comes in, ala Gagne/Turnbow...time for that to stop, starting tomorrow!

[JohnBriggs12]

I posted before the season that none of the offseason signings had a bigger potential to blow up than Hoffman. At some point every guy is done. It's early though and he's been stung by the HR. But Macha needs to consider his options occasionally. Last night after facing just one guy in the 8th and up by 3, there was no reason not to just let Hawkins finish the game. It's about winning and not about accumulating saves for Hoffman.

[Rhett16]

I am certainly hoping it is just a fluke thing and that he'll be fine. That being said, even Hall of Famers like Hoffman eventually "lose it", sometimes it is gradual, sometimes it seems to happen overnight. I think we as fans have the right to be a little concerned right now.

[Menotti80]

Same MPH on his fastball. Struggling a bit with his change , which doesn't concern me because that's his bread and butter pitch. Once he starts locating his pitches a little better he will be fine.

 

I'm surprised people on this board would overreact after 1 week...

[endaround]

He hasn't been able to throw his change up for strikes. Until he does he'll have lots of issues. Right now Hoffman may see the DL to make room for Suppan.