Trevor Hoffman retires

[TooLiveBrew]

Wow. What an excellent story, almost as good as Trevor is a person.

[danzig6767]

How about a first pitch where he trots in from the bullpen to Hell's Bells one last time...that would get the crowd fired up.

Trevor did struggle last year, but from a strictly fan and entertainment perspective, going to games at Miller Park in Hoffman's first year sure was great fun if a game was close with the Brewers leading near the 9th inning. You could see him warming up and then when the Hell's Bells music came blaring on, the excitement and energy in the ballpark really added to the game experience.

 

I remember attending a game once that year with my daughter and her boyfriend. The game was close in the bottom of the 8th inning and Trevor was warming up, but the Brewers scored a few more runs and thus Hoffman sat down and didn't come in for the 9th inning. I could almost feel a bit of a deflating feeling in the park because it meant no Hoffman and Hell's Bells, even though the added runs increased the lead. In fact, both my daughter and boyfriend were bummed to see that Trevor and the whole entrance into the game experience wasn't going to happen.

[prophet]

I can relate to that Danzig6767. I don't know if it was the same game (Astros?) but that happened to me too. But i remember one other game that first year, that the Crew was up by three in the bottom of the 8th and had first and third with one out. Hoffman was warming up and I wanna say Kendall was up, but i'm not sure. but anyway, whoever it was, hit into a 4-6-3 and the entire section we were in almost erupted with applause, cause we wanted Hell's Bells.

[bigredrobbo]

Surely Trevor has to be as close to a first ballot lock to be in the Hall of Fame as it gets, doesn't he?

[prophet]

If he's not a lock, then the voters need to get their privileges revoked. Not just because of his on the field performance, but because of the person he is. Any exclusive club should be honored to have a person like Hoffman representing them. It doesn't happen very often that a player plays as long as he did, and I can't remember ever hearing one bad thing said about him from anyone that has played with him or met him.

[topper09er]

Now Hoffman will be on a ballot with Griffey, Jim Edmonds, Andy Pettitte plus holdovers from previous years which will probably include Mussina, Smoltz + steroid guys like Gary Sheffield. I dont see him getting over 50% on his first ballot. And by this time he will not be the all-time saves leader.

[Outlander]

Yeah, he is a hall of famer but he has no shot at getting in first ballot.

[Invader3K]

Of the guys topper mentioned, I can only see Griffey (obviously a sure fire first ballot guy) and Smoltz getting really serious consideration. I think Hoffman can still get in, especially given that he is so well respected and has never been connected to any PED use.

[Outlander]

The problem there is you can only vote for ten guys and with all the performancing enhancing stuff out there it is possible to see this list in Hoffman's first year:

 

Barry Bonds

Roger Clemens

Curt Schilling

Ken Griffey Jr (1st year)

Trevor Hoffman (1st year)

John Smoltz

Gary Sheffield (1st year)

Tim Raines

Fred McGriff

Larry Walker

Edgar Martinez

Sammy Sosa

Mike Mussina (1st year)

Allan Trammell

Mark McGwire

Rafael Palmeiro

 

So right there I think there are 16 players that deserve serious consideration and the list above assumes guys like Jeff Bagwell, Barry Larkin, Craig Biggio, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Jeff Kent and Mike Piazza get elected over the next 4 years.

[bigredrobbo]

Yeah, he is a hall of famer but he has no shot at getting in first ballot.

No shot? Really? Okay, he maybe surpassed as all time saves leader by then and will only be number two on the list, but if you seriously believe he has no shot, I'll take that bet!

[Outlander]

The math just doesn't add up, over the last twenty years or so the hall only averages 1.5 players elected by the writers every year. There are too many good players on the ballot over the next five years for him to get 75% of the vote. I don't have anything against him and think he is a great player but the way the voting is set up and timing of retirements I would say he has no chance on the first ballot.

[Invader3K]

Outlander, we're talking about the only guy in the majors to ever reach 600 saves (yes, I realize Rivera may break it, but Hoffman was first), who is pretty much universally respected and praised by every baseball person I've seen comment on him. I think you're really under selling Trevor Hoffman. I wouldn't be shocked at all to see him and Griffey go in together. They might be the only two that year, but I think Hoffman is a first ballot guy for sure.

[logan82]

I think players would probably be better off just admitting to steroid use if they are linked in any way to it even if they are clean instead of denying and denying everything.