Hoffman as good as ever, but is he a Hall-of-Famer?

HardballCooperative — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:17:13 -0000

Trevor Hoffman has been nearly perfect for the Brewers this season, not giving up a run until Sunday's loss. He's 15-for-15 on save opportunities and now has 569 in his career. He's often referred to a "future Hall-of-Famer Trevor Hoffman," and he's got a resume very worthy of consideration. But is he a Hall-of-Famer? First ballot?

Arguments for: Holds major league record for saves; consistently one of the top relievers in the game over a long period of time.

Arguments against: Barely over 1,000 major league innings; has never thrown more than 90 innings in a season, and only more than 80 three times; never won a major award (second twice in Cy Young); has only led his league in saves twice; short postseason resume.

The case really boils down to longevity and that career saves record. We've got a deeper look at this on Hardball Cooperative today. Read it and share your thoughts here or there.

SB Nation User Blog: HardballCooperative

Hoffman as good as ever, but is he a Hall-of-Famer?