Should the Brewers retire Trevor Hoffman's number someday?

[Fatter than Joey]

The same could VERY well happen to Rivera in the next year or 2 as well.

 

Or Rivera could continue pitching like Jamie Moyer until he is 50 -- that could VERY well happen also.

 

So now that we have both of the extreme ends of the spectrum covered -- I think given the fact that the Yankees are a team that can pay Rivera, and are capable of giving him plenty of Save OPs... I think it is very likely Rivera will collect 600 saves. He would only really need one solid season, and then one season like Hoffman is currently hacking his way through to get there.

 

Plus I think the Yankees will bend over backwards to make him the all-time saves leader.

[topper09er]

Hopefully the next # they retire is 8.

[Funketown]

No. There are a lot of numbers I'd retire before retiring Hoffman's. He has played two season with Milwaukee, one solid and one brutal. You don't retire a guys number for that. Oh, and Hank Aaron is different, as he played more than half his career in Milwaukee, just under a different logo.

[Jofis11ep]

Not a chance. The best comparison I can come up with is, would be if the Minnesota Vikings decided to retire Brett Favre's #4 if he were to retire next year. He had one great year, but did not get them to the Super Bowl or win a ring. Obviously, he didn't set any records so it is not the exact same but at the basics, it is similar. Brett Favre will be remembered primarily as a Green Bay Packer for achieving all of the greatness and wins and records. The same goes for Trevor Hoffman, he will be known as a San Diego Padre.

 

I am not trying to stir up the debate on Brett Favre, that is not my intention. My point is that Trevor Hoffman will be known as a San Diego Padre. It would be a slap in the face to San Diego if Milwaukee decided to retire his number. Almost all of his saves were in San Diego and that is what he will be remembered for. When it all comes down to it, it just happened that Milwaukee had Trevor Hoffman for what ended up being a rounded off number of saves. I am not saying that 600 saves is not an unbelievable feat, because obviously it is. I think the Brewers should make some sort of small memorial to commemorate the moment happening in Milwaukee.

 

[TooLiveBrew]

It might be neat to do some sort of honoring of the 600th save, a la Ueck's 50 yrs., but honestly retiring his number would seem a little sad/desperate imo.

[endaround]

The same could VERY well happen to Rivera in the next year or 2 as well.

 

Or Rivera could continue pitching like Jamie Moyer until he is 50 -- that could VERY well happen also.

 

So now that we have both of the extreme ends of the spectrum covered -- I think given the fact that the Yankees are a team that can pay Rivera, and are capable of giving him plenty of Save OPs... I think it is very likely Rivera will collect 600 saves. He would only really need one solid season, and then one season like Hoffman is currently hacking his way through to get there.

 

Plus I think the Yankees will bend over backwards to make him the all-time saves leader.

Which is the entire point. Rivera turns 41 in November. His year this year is very similar to Hoffman's last year in terms of results.

[davego]

Retire "Hells Bells."

[Fatter than Joey]

His year this year is very similar to Hoffman's last year in terms of results.

 

They are still 2 entirely different athletes, and 2 entirely different pitchers.

 

Still, Hoffman even with his collapse, was still able to save 46 games in his 41st-42nd years -- Rivera wouldn't probably need to even do that to get over 600.

 

Obviously, Favre didn't set any records so it is not the exact same

 

Technically, Favre sets a record every time he starts a game, completes a pass, throws a TD, etc...

[Outlander]

Hoffman is very similar to Favre in the respect. Hoffman set a record every time he recorded a save but no one cared until he reached a round number. Favre sets a record every time he throws a touchdown and completes a pass and it will only be a big deal after he reaches 500 touchdowns and 70,000 yards this year. I'm not sure why it is a big deal but these round numbers always gets media attention.

[mletto157]

Yeah, having the most anything in the history of a sport means nothing; it's only when they reach a "milestone" that it turns into something.

[DHarris34Phan]

Yeah they should retire #51, Brian Shouse's legacy will live on forever!

[DuWayne Steurer]

The same could VERY well happen to Rivera in the next year or 2 as well.

 

Or Rivera could continue pitching like Jamie Moyer until he is 50 -- that could VERY well happen also.

Right, because many MORE guys make it to 47 still pitching effectively than there are guys that break down rapidly in the 38 - 40 age range.

[azcheesehead]

The same could VERY well happen to Rivera in the next year or 2 as well.

 

Or Rivera could continue pitching like Jamie Moyer until he is 50 -- that could VERY well happen also.

Right, because many MORE guys make it to 47 still pitching effectively than there are guys that break down rapidly in the 38 - 40 age range.

Rivera pitching as long as Moyer is about as likely to happen as FTJ no longer refuting every other comment posted on this board.

[jjkoestler]

Slightly off topic.... I listened to the national ESPN radio shows (Mike & Mike and The Herd) this morning expecting to hear something about Hoffman's 600th save. I heard it mentioned on the Sportscenter score updates in between the Padres breaking their losing streak and the Yankees losing to the O's. It wasn't even the lead to the Brewers v Cards score! If Rivera just saved number 600 ESPN would devote an entire week to discussing the milestone.

[Worm8181]

Technically, Favre sets a record every time he starts a game, completes a pass, throws a TD, etc... INT

[Fatter than Joey]

Yeah, having the most anything in the history of a sport means nothing

 

This is not true -- Rose getting 4192 got a lot more attention than hit #4000, Aaron hitting 715 meant more than 700 -- The biggest Homerun McGwire ever hit was #62. Milestones get more attention than they deserve though. Hoffman's milestone is special though because he is the first pitcher to reach it. Also, I don't think the baseball fan care much about save leaders or save milestones.

 

Right, because many MORE guys make it to 47 still pitching effectively than there are guys that break down rapidly in the 38 - 40 age range.

 

Look, I understand that Rivera is getting old, and is going to start to decline at some point --but Hoffman has gotten 46 saves since he turned 41, even with his steep decline, I don't see any reason why Rivera couldn't do the same. With regard to retiring Hoffman's number or "600" -- It's going to look silly for the Brewers when Rivera is likely to surpass it in the next 2 seasons.

 

Rivera pitching as long as Moyer is about as likely to happen as FTJ no longer refuting every other comment posted on this board.

 

Agreed -- He only needs to pitch until he is 42-43 though.

[hawing]

Slightly off topic.... I listened to the national ESPN radio shows (Mike & Mike and The Herd) this morning expecting to hear something about Hoffman's 600th save. I heard it mentioned on the Sportscenter score updates in between the Padres breaking their losing streak and the Yankees losing to the O's. It wasn't even the lead to the Brewers v Cards score! If Rivera just saved number 600 ESPN would devote an entire week to discussing the milestone.

I made almost that exact observation to the S.O. last night - that we can count on 24/7 Rivera coverage should he come within (let's say) 10 saves of 600. I had to buy a Journal Sentinel (the last copy available at the Union today) just to get a piece of newsprint worth saving for the story, as the Wisconsin State Journal paid barely any attention to it.

[Buckylovesbeer]

Retire "Hells Bells."

I agree with Davego.

 

As far as his number, my vote is no.

[Mr QL]

Nope, hasn't played long enough as a Brewer. He's a Padre. Honoring 600 somewhere in the ball park be okay.

 

Maybe I'm just a bias Brian Shouse fan tho.

[MHgb]

As Hoffman's 600th is different from Aaron's career in Milwaukee as discussed, it is also very different from Uecker's 50 years in baseball. I would make mention of it somewhere, but nowhere near the rafters.

[JimH5]

No way on retiring the number.

 

It might be different if he nailed down some WS wins or something, but after time, his days in Milwaukee will not be remembered any more than the careers of Bob Wickman, Mike DeJean, Mike Fetters, etc.

[Invader3K]

No way on retiring the number.

 

It might be different if he nailed down some WS wins or something, but after time, his days in Milwaukee will not be remembered any more than the careers of Bob Wickman, Mike DeJean, Mike Fetters, etc.

Well, I think Hoffman might be remembered a bit more fondly...

 

Anyway, I tend to agree that retiring his number would probably be overkill. I wouldn't mind seeing some sort of plaque commemorating his 600th save, though.

[Gobias Industries]

As others have said, no. Absolutely not. You retire numbers of a dude who's put up HOF type numbers for a decade or more. Trevor had one really good season for us, and one really poor (which imo sunk an avg team early).

 

He held the all time record at 599, so I'm having a hard time figuring out why 600 is so much more special.

[dadofandrew]

Fingers and Aaron did not play much for the Brewers either, but both are in the Hall, and both have their numbers retired.

 

A more interesting question would be Edmonds, if he were to make it. If Trevor's is not, they will have to figure out a minimum number of games played.

[Fatter than Joey]

Fingers and Aaron did not play much for the Brewers either, but both are in the Hall, and both have their numbers retired.

 

Aaron was the all-time HR king, and played much of his career in Milwaukee.

 

Fingers was instrumental in the Brewers reaching the post-season. Fingers was probably also one of the most popular Brewers, even though his stay was short.

 

Don Sutton is in the HOF -- pitched three seasons, and in the WS for the Brewers -- I don't ever think the Brewers even considered retiring #27

 

Edmonds has a small chance to make the HOF... Neither Hoffman or Edmonds are going to have their numbers retired.

 

There are a lot of HOFers, that don't have their numbers retired by every team they played for. Also there are plenty of players that are not HOFers that have numbers retired.