In a recent post, I challenged the intensity--or lack thereof--of Padres pitching (yes, I realise Dodger pitching is abysmal and castrated, but that's a different post).  I mentioned how SD's pitching staff boasts a low bullpen ERA, knows how to get a clutch performance, and are SO thankful that Cla Meredith was jettisoned by the Red Sox.  

In reply to that post, another faithful blogger brought up the role of Trevor Hoffman, and alluded to Hoffy's high-profile chokes--most notably in the All Star Game and of course the collapse in Chavez Ravine.   I find that blogger a most insighful chap, but I respectully disagree with Hoffman being a "choke job".  He's had 45 save opportunities with 40 saves, and although he's 0-2, his ERA so far this season is 2.05 in 57.0 innings played.  Compare that with an immature crybaby like the Giants' Armando Benitez (17/25 in saves, 4-2 with a 3.52 ERA in 38.1 IP) and the old Padre doesn't look bad at all.  Plus, he's closing in on Lee Smith's all-time saves record with only two more to tie the 478 mark.  On paper, in contrast to the good blogger's comments, Trevor Time looks pretty ok.  Yet the comments made me think. In light of all the cool numbers I just spouted, I have but one question:

So what?

So Trevor is about to overtake Lee Smith in the all-time number of career saves.  Is that the stuff of a future Hall of Famer when the Good Mr Smith isn't even in the Great Hall yet?  More on that in a moment.

I did some checking, and from what I can see, Lee Smith was a pretty ok pitcher with flashes of brilliance; a career 71-92, with a 3.03 ERA and of course 478 saves; 7-time All-Star with a number of awards for relief and closing--the Rolaids award comes to mind.  And almost won a Cy Young.  Compared to that, Trevor is in good company with establishing his legacy.

Again, I ask...so what?

I hear a lot of discourse on the difficulty of being a closer; how getting those last three or six outs is very tough, especially when facing a team with a 'damn-the-torpedoes' desire to come from behind.  I hear that there's an art to closing, and that only a mentally tough guy can perfect that role and "bring in on in" for the team. 

In other words: Closers ride the momentum of a team lead into the ninth inning, and provide a rested arm to capitalise on the energy generated from eight previous innings of hardscrabble play.  Is this the stuff of a Hall of Famer?  Bruce Sutter made it in as a pure reliever, which is a slightly different entity from the closer.

The question will get answered eventually.  Because the good Padres fans--arguably some of the most faithful I've ever seen--are very excited at the prospect of Trevor hitting this milestone.  Could they be setting themselves up for colossal disappointment? The number one closer isn't a Hall of Famer yet, so that doesn't bode well for Hoffy to leapfrog his way into Cooperstown. 

As I mentioned, only Trevor Time will tell.