Trevor Hoffman First to 500, Saves Still Overrated

It's become headline news across all sports outlets, primarily because Hoffman is the first to do it. You know what? Justin Miller became the first known pitcher to get the words "Billy Koch" tattooed on his bum, but that doesn't mean it should be splashing headlines across the nets. Randy Johnson passing Roger Clemens for second on the all-time strikeouts list is much more significant, but that only warranted a few sentences, eight paragraphs down in the game recap on Tuesday night. Why should the news of Hoffman reaching 500 saves be as important as it's been made out to be? Was someone else going to beat him to the punch? I thought the big deal was last year when Hoffman passed up Lee Smith. Did I miss something?

The simple truth is that saves are an overrated statistic -- one of the most overrated stats in baseball. Here's all you need to know about saves: Armando Benitez has 289 of them, Danny Graves 182, some guy named Jose Jimenez grabbed 41 in a year, and it made an All-Star out of Danny Kolb and Mike MacDougal. I can name five pitchers in the Padres bullpen who have all been more effective than Hoffman this year -- Kevin Cameron, Heath Bell, Justin Hampson, Doug Brocail, and Scott Linebrink. But none of them get any recognition because you don't stamp an "S" next to their name in the boxscore. Moreover, any pitcher who can't get three outs before they allow three runs (which is all it takes to earn a save) doesn't belong in the big leagues. You follow me?

The fact that Trevor Hoffman has 500 of them tells me two things -- he's been closing for a long time, and done a very good job of it. And the fact that nobody else has done it reminds me that closers only became a serious part of the game around 25 years ago. That's it. I can still name you another reliever I would've preferred in my bullpen for every year he was in the majors. When you break it all down, Trevor Hoffman is a very good player whose only measuring stick is a vastly overrated, and highly insignificant statistic. I am impressed that Hoffman has been able to perform at such a high level for such a long period of time, especially when other relievers are blowing out arms or losing mental stability left and right. But it still doesn't change the fact that saves are an overrated statistic.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

6-07-2007 @ 12:10PM

tacobellmanager said...

Spot on, especially with the Benitez remark. Nothing has made GMs waste more money on lesser contributors than the save. It won Mark Davis a Cy Young back in 1989, of all things. Bobby Thigpen saved 57 in a year, isn't that still the record? Yet he was sitting on the bench when Jim Fregosi sent in Mitch Williams, even though everyone KNEW Williams would destroy the game, because Mitch Williams had 47 who-gives-a-crap saves in 1993. Relievers like Elroy Face, who won 18 games in a single season, should be the standard here, not someone who makes a zillion dollars because pure genius Tony LaRussa (PBUH) decided to pitch Dennis Eckersley one inning only, and it worked.

6-07-2007 @ 2:08PM

Allan said...

I have to respectfully disagree with this post. The closer role has become a very important role in today’s game. Everyone uses the excuse about how hard is it to get three outs when your team is up 3 runs to get a save as if that’s the case in every save opportunity. How about when a closer comes in with runners on second and third with one out and his team only up a run? How many closers have come and gone around baseball since Hoffman became the full-time closer for the Padres in 1994. There is a reason only a handful of relievers can handle closing duties year in and year out. You say that Kevin Cameron, Heath Bell, Justin Hampson, Doug Brocail, and Scott Linebrink have all been more effective this year. I’d like to see their numbers if they came in every game in the ninth with a win on the line as opposed to the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. The fact of the matter is the closer role is very important in the modern game today and the fact that Hoffman has been so effective for so long is mind boggling, especially considering his fastball hasn’t topped 90 mph in many years, which is the opposite of the norm for closers through out baseball. 500 Homeruns is lauded as a tremendous achievement in baseball. How many of those homeruns does a player hit in a blowout loss or in a game where it doesn’t make a difference? All 500 of Hoffman’s save equal 500 wins for his team. I applaud Hoffman’s achievement and think he is a first ballot hall of famer.

6-07-2007 @ 2:12PM

Mario Rules said...

I agree with you that saves are overrated, but....

"I can name five pitchers in the Padres bullpen who have all been more effective than Hoffman this year -- Kevin Cameron, Heath Bell, Justin Hampson, Doug Brocail, and Scott Linebrink. But none of them get any recognition because you don't stamp an "S" next to their name in the boxscore."

That statement is just dumb. Only Linebrink has been consistently good previous to this year, and none of those guys have an ERA+ of over 130 in 11 of the past 13 seasons. Trevor Hoffman gets recognition because of his saves, but he also deserves it because he's consistently been one of the best relievers over the past 15 years.

6-07-2007 @ 3:26PM

Mitch said...

You are pathetic. Trevor Hoffman plays the game at an incredible level and what do you do? Oh right.... you sit at a computer and write articles about it.

6-07-2007 @ 3:44PM

bscruff said...

J.Broxton of the Dodgers,good middle relief,but can't seem to do the job at closing yet.Must be something to what Hoffman has done.This Dodger fan salutes you Trevor.

6-07-2007 @ 4:12PM

Scott Gulbransen said...

What an empty excuse for diminishing an amazing feat. Hoffman has everything the Hall of Fame looks for: consistency and longevity. Saves might be a new phenomenon but it's a vital part of the modern game and for you to diminish it shows you're sitting on your brains.

More effective than Hoffman? I don't know how you're writing on baseball...the guy is a first-ballot HOFamer...recent poll of the 62 writers who vote on HOF, 58 said they'll vote for Hoffman first ballot. Thank God you're not one...

6-07-2007 @ 4:28PM

robert said...

I think columnists are overrated.
They sit at a desk and type all day as opposed to real journalists out in the field taking leads and breaking stories.

I think columnists are overrated.
They sit at a desk and type stories as opposed ro real journalists out in the field taking leads and breaking stories.

6-07-2007 @ 4:40PM

me said...

The last three outs, with the game on the line, are the hardest outs to get. Now please crawl back into your "Go Dodgers" van and wallow in your NL-West and genetic inferiority.

6-07-2007 @ 9:12PM

Jeff said...

Sorry, but you're wrong. Just ask any team armando benitez has played for how important saves are. It's not an easy thing to do--otherwise teams wouldn't shell out 10 mil a year for guys who can consistently do it. And no, you aren't smarter than executives of major league ball teams. The guy's going to the hall of fame because he has a 90% save percentage--not because he has the most career saves in major league history, just ask lee smith