After A Hall Of Fame Career Trevor Hoffman Has Decided To Hang Up His Cleats

After a Hall of Fame Career Trevor Hoffman Has Decided to Hang Up His Cleats

Last season was one of the low points in Trevor Hoffman’s career, so after 18 Major League seasons and 601 career saves, he has finally decided to hang up his spikes.  Hoffman didn’t want to make an emotional decision at the conclusion of last season and spent months pondering with his wife what the next step in his career should be.  In the end they decided that the stress of another season would be too much for he and his family to endure.  With the exception of a mid-season comeback, that would set baseball’s all-time career saves leader for a first-ballot Hall of Fame induction along with other notable players including Ken Griffey Jr.  Though Hoffman has closed the book on his playing career, he is interested in coming back to baseball with the San Diego Padres in a new role with the team’s front office.  What that role is remains unanswered at this time.Trevor Hoffman joined XX Sports Radio in San Diego to talk about if his sudden retirement is still a surprise, how much he considered retirement when last season ended, and what he is going to do now.

If his sudden retirement is still a surprise:

“A little bit.  Just the finality of the decision.  I think deep down based off some of the decisions that I need to make personally from a self-evaluation standpoint and the direction that I might have to go to continue playing the decision was kind of easy just to be honest with you.”

How much he considered retirement when last season ended:

“That was kind of the big thing, I didn’t want to make an emotional decision based off the way the season ended.  I think I needed to take some time away from the game, and again, evaluate how last year went.  Understand I finished on a upswing, a high-tick, but unltimately it came down to, did I feel comfortable being able to lead a ball club into the postseason and giving them an opportunity to move forward in that regard, and I think I came up with an answer that you always want to listen to, but was a good evaluation of where I was headed and I was looking forward to an opportunity to a new chapter in baseball and a new direction.  This was the kind of decision that it came to a head with.”

If he made this decision on his own or if other people were involved in the decision-making process:

“Over time, just people you kind of come in contact with, how other guys have handled their retirement, how they handled their decision.  The specific decision for me was mostly internal.  Tracy and I talked about the stress that I went through over last year, the stress it puts on the family.  The continued desire to put on the uniform and what that entails.  At this stage in my life and in my career I kind of came to the determination that a change would be good for me.”

What he is going to do now:

“You know what?  I have had some discussions with some of the guys down with the Padres and I am sure we are going to be able to talk about some things to help out the organization that I am most fond of and most dear of and really recognize for the Padres and I look forward to helping them in any capacity, some capacity moving forward to, again, find a championship, put a ring on our fingers.”