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View Full Version : irony..hoffman style



jmac
11-18-2006, 10:20 AM
most of you may know this, but i thought i would share a little of the background i read in a reds periodical.
1991: trevor hoffman was hitting just 212 in 103 games for reds Single A team in Charleston.Their manager,Jim Lett knew he would soon be cut so he approached Trevor and said, "Hey Trevor,before we cut you and send you back home forever,did you ever think about pitching ?"
After just a few pitches in a bullpen session,Lett and the pitching coach knew they were on to something.
1992:reds had 15 spots to fill on their "hands off " list in the which newly formed teams,Florida and Colorado could not touch.With 14 spots filled, they had to decide on the last one.A regular position player or the "new kid with the live arm " ?
after months of debate on that last spot, they chose not to protect hoffman, who was scooped up by (and later traded by) the Florida Marlins.
Rest is history .....482 saves 2.71 era

now fast forward to : 2006
Hoffman sets all-time saves record for Padres in game against Pirates.Team-mates pour onto field to celebrate with hoffman.Trevor stops,steps away from the guys and points to older guy setting in pirates dugout watching all this.The pirate coach......yes, none other than Jim Lett.The former Reds single A manager who once asked him "did you ever think about pitching".

though the Reds not protecting Hoffman will never top the famous "Bowie over Jordan " on the 'ones that gotta away list',in the baseball world,it would have to be right up there close to the top.

westofyou
11-18-2006, 10:22 AM
A regular position player or the "new kid with the live arm " ?

http://www.baseballminutia.com/images/sab.gif

redsmetz
11-18-2006, 11:56 AM
Oh, yes, definitely one that got away. We've mentioned several over time - Hank Sauer, Curt Flood, Trevor Hoffman etc etc etc. - but then again, we've caught our share too. But Hoffman has always struck out like a thorn. I can't remember who else was drafted in that expansion, but he developed into one of the biggest catches (ironically by the Marlins!).

jmac
11-18-2006, 12:37 PM
he developed into one of the biggest catches (ironically by the Marlins!).

How true on the irony of the "marlins". i never thought of that till your post.
It struck me as strange how the guy who first approached him about it (Lett) was there when he set the record.Lett had sorta made it big too.Single A manager to mlb bench coach though with a different team.

fearofpopvol1
11-18-2006, 12:47 PM
I seriously doubt the Reds would have kept him (for his entire tenure).

harangatang
11-18-2006, 02:31 PM
most of you may know this, but i thought i would share a little of the background i read in a reds periodical.
1991: trevor hoffman was hitting just 212 in 103 games for reds Single A team in Charleston.Their manager,Jim Lett knew he would soon be cut so he approached Trevor and said, "Hey Trevor,before we cut you and send you back home forever,did you ever think about pitching ?"
After just a few pitches in a bullpen session,Lett and the pitching coach knew they were on to something.
1992:reds had 15 spots to fill on their "hands off " list in the which newly formed teams,Florida and Colorado could not touch.With 14 spots filled, they had to decide on the last one.A regular position player or the "new kid with the live arm " ?
after months of debate on that last spot, they chose not to protect hoffman, who was scooped up by (and later traded by) the Florida Marlins.
Rest is history .....482 saves 2.71 era

now fast forward to : 2006
Hoffman sets all-time saves record for Padres in game against Pirates.Team-mates pour onto field to celebrate with hoffman.Trevor stops,steps away from the guys and points to older guy setting in pirates dugout watching all this.The pirate coach......yes, none other than Jim Lett.The former Reds single A manager who once asked him "did you ever think about pitching".

though the Reds not protecting Hoffman will never top the famous "Bowie over Jordan " on the 'ones that gotta away list',in the baseball world,it would have to be right up there close to the top.Just out of curiosity, who did the Reds protect over Hoffman?

westofyou
11-18-2006, 02:36 PM
Just out of curiosity, who did the Reds protect over Hoffman?

He's in post #2

dougflynn23
11-18-2006, 02:56 PM
:) I had always heard that the original list had Hoffman on it, but he was taken off and replaced by Chris Hammond. Not saying that's correct, but that was always the story I'd heard...and that the irony was that Hammond was dealt to FLA that next season anyway.

PuffyPig
11-18-2006, 03:48 PM
I thought that John Roper was protected in place of Hoffman.

harangatang
11-18-2006, 03:52 PM
He's in post #2Ahhh...Spuds McKensie(Chris Sabo)...took me a minute without seeing the goggles.

Slyder
11-18-2006, 05:19 PM
Ahhh...Spuds McKensie(Chris Sabo)...took me a minute without seeing the goggles.

Who were the other players? Knowing it was Sabo makes it a little less bitter of a pill to swallow.

Signed
Spuds Fan.

MrCinatit
11-18-2006, 05:38 PM
Hindsight is 20-20, but Spuds was turning into Spudders in '92, as his best years were behind him. And who is to say he would have been drafted - he was expensive then for an expansion team.
But, then again, even if they still did have Hoffman, Bowden probably would have traded him away for a handful of magic beans.

Hap
11-18-2006, 09:21 PM
Hoffman would have been gone as soon as his price tag was too high (see O'Neill, Paul; see Boone, Bret; see Shaw, Jeff)

Spitball
11-18-2006, 11:15 PM
Just out of curiosity, who did the Reds protect over Hoffman?

Was it not Tim Costo?

tomd63
11-19-2006, 10:34 PM
Was it not Tim Costo?

Actually, I believe it was Tim Pugh.