Hoffman Hangs Them Up

43 year old Trevor Hoffman called it quits today after 18 seasons and a Major League record 601 saves. Hoffman saved at least 40 games 8 times and helped lead the San Diego Padres to the 1998 World Series. During the '98 campaign, Hoffman posted a 1.48 ERA and saved 53 games for the National League Champs. It was also during that season that he began entering games to AC/DC's Hell's Bells, which would be his calling card for the rest of his career. Known for his devastating change-up, Hoffman led the National League in saves twice, was an NL Pitcher of the month twice, and made 7 all-star teams, most recently in 2009 with the Milwaukee Brewers. His hold on the all-time saves record may be short lived as Mariano Rivera sits in 2nd place at 559, but Hoffman will always be known as one of the great closers of his generation and the first one to reach both the 500 and 600 save plateaus.