voiceofsandiego.org: Cheapseats... Save the Trevor Time Criticism

This is the way it works in the Padres' clubhouse after Padres closer Trevor Hoffman pitches.

If he blows a save, you'll find him standing forthright in front of his locker waiting to answer questions and invariably accept responsibility.

If he adds to his Major League Baseball record total of career saves, you might have to wait a little while n but not as long as some players force the media to hang around their locker n until he emerges from the trainer's room with ice taped around his shoulder.

In other words, it's more important for him to accept responsibility or deflect blame directed at teammates than it is for him to hear praise.

What more could a baseball fan want? In some factions of the Padres' nation, they unrealistically want perfection from Hoffman.

Usually, when we see the ugly side of San Diego sports, it can be blame on East Coasts transplants behaving the way fans do in Boston, New York and Philadelpha instead of adapting to the San Diego weather and sports climate.

I can't think of a San Diego sports icon that has heard more unwarranted criticism than Hoffman.

Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts twice threw five interceptions in playoff losses -- Dec. 29, 1979 in a 17-14 loss to the Houston Oilers and Jan.

16, 1983 in a 34-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Do you think anybody was hesitant to send Fouts back out on the field?

Maybe it's because Hoffman isn't an overpowering pitcher that he draws so much inexplicable criticism. He beats people with placement and changeups.

When Hoffman saved Thursday afternoon's game against the Houston Astros with three outs on eight pitches, he didn't fire back at his critics.

"I'd like to see us get on a roll for 10 games so I don't have to talk to you guys," said Hoffman, who really meant the call-in critics given air time on sports talk radio.

That was a rare sardonic comment from Hoffman. It suggests the critics calling into sports talk radio are starting to gnaw at him.

But after all he's done for this franchise, he shouldn't have to hear any of it. Padres owner John Moores saved the franchise when he bought it in 1994, but he may not have been able to save it in the city, with a new downtown ballpark, without Hoffman.

Manager Buddy Black and general manager Kevin Towers aren't concerned. They say his velocity is still there.

In Hoffman's two loses this year, he's hurt himself with walks that turned into winning runs. He didn't lose games with balls being banged around the park. In Sunday's defeat, he lost on a walk, a tapper to the mound that advanced the runner and a single.

Remember how quickly the Padres dumped David Wells last year? He had pitched effectively early in the year before teams started banging the ball all over the park. The Padres let him go because they felt he lost his velocity and placement and batters were teeing off on him.

If Black and Towers aren't alarmed, there is no reason for Hoffman's critics' to be foolishly complaining about him on sports talk radio.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

I forget, how did Trevor end the year last year? Perhaps Tom can take his thoughts a little further and let folks know what has to happen before he is willing to question Hoffman's effectiveness? Is it 3 blown saves in a row? Is it 5 or 10? Just so the reader can have a sense that this isn't blind support of the local team, explain when it is ok to question the closer? Hoffman should answer media questions, after all, he's a multi-millionaire paid for buy the people in the seats. Come on Tom!

Posted by '07 Trevor Time? | reply to this comment
April 9, 2008 8:29 am

I agree with "'07 Trevor Time?". The way Hoffman ended last year was bad, and the way he's started this year is very worrisome. I love the Padres, and have been a big Hoffman fan. Unfortunately, it looks like the time has come for the team to put someone else in the Closer role. Bottom line: Hoffman is not getting it done like he used to. In this tight division, and with the Padres inability to score a lot of runs, we need a more reliable Closer. Hoffman is a class-act, and has been a great Padre, but his best days are behind him. It's time to move on.

Posted by Pads Fan | reply to this comment
April 9, 2008 11:31 am

Typical San Diego bandwagon fans...guy has a rough start and you are ready to can him...did everyone forget that Greg Maddux gave up two home runs on his 1st start this year? Does everyone forget that if the padres could have actually scored some runs, it would have been a different situation?

Posted by Sara | reply to this comment
April 10, 2008 4:23 pm

If you were a 40-year-old geezer and somebody offered you millions of dollars to do something you used to be able to do and you were in denial about your own declining ability and you actually thought that an 85 mph fastball was adequate because you were so wily about placement of the ball around the corners of the plate (and only made a few mistakes down the MIDDLE OF THE PLATE) and if thousands of people cheered for you every night and they put you on TV endorsing products and everyone wanted your autograph and you had to work, like, maybe an hour a week... wouldn't you do it? Hell, I would -- give me glove, man, and I'm out on the mound tonight. It's not Trevor's fault. Don't blame the lunatic when the asylum gives him the keys to the front door.

Posted by The Truth | reply to this comment
April 10, 2008 5:18 pm

I'm much more concerned about our broken down center fielder, aging right fielder, base running mistakes that have cost us at lest 3 games and the complete lack of offensive production. If this team could score some runs we wouldn't be having a discussion about a closer. He's one piece to the puzzle. The rest of the pieces are not fitting either.

Posted by Point Loman | reply to this comment
April 11, 2008 5:52 am

Wow. This is the first time I've ever commented on an article, but couldn't resist. This might be the worst written sports-related article I've ever read. The first five sentences are priceless. So, because he talks to the media, he should never be criticized? "What more could fans ask for?" Um, fans don't care if a player is friendly to the media. Fans care if a "closer" continues to rack up losses and blow save after save. They care when the closer inherits an 8-6 lead in the thirteenth inning of a one game playoff, blows the save, and gets the loss. Likewise, the author calls any criticism towards Hoffman as "unwarranted" and "inexplicable." Inexcplicable? After blowing said save the last game last year, Hoffman comes back with a 12.27 ERA and 2 losses in four appearances.

Posted by Wow | reply to this comment
April 11, 2008 1:28 pm

what Wow fails to comprehend is that when an athlete talks to the media, he is by extension talking to the fans. when he doesn't answer questions, he by extension is ignoring the fans.

Posted by Jake | reply to this comment
April 13, 2008 10:48 am

1. Ysidro1 wrote on April 8, 2008 9:55 AM: "Lay off the guy! Seems fans expect saves 100% of the time. Hoffman gives 110% effort every time. Teams are getting wise to his style. Nobody's perfect, not even Peavy. We're lucky to have a fabulous bullpen with Maddux, Bell, and Hoffy the real stars."

Posted by Ysidro1 | reply to this comment
May 23, 2008 9:18 pm

Save the Trevor Time Criticism

Published: Monday, April 7, 2008 4:55 PM PDT