Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Want to know about Trevor Hoffman?
Take a look at the words that former teammates and members of the Padres' family have shared over the years about Trevor -- the player, the teammate and the friend:
"He was totally dedicated to everything he touched." -- The late Kevin Towers, Padres GM from 1995-2009
"The Hall of Fame couldn't have a better ambassador. He deserves to be there on talent alone. But when you know Trevor, you see the depth of the person. He was a great teammate and an even better friend. Jamie and I are proud to be close friends with Tracy and Trevor. Trevor as a player never left anything on the field. He's the same way off the field. He loved representing the Padres and San Diego." -- Mark Kotsay, Padres hitter from 2001-03 and '12-13
"When I joined the Padres, I thought I knew how to prepare myself for being a relief pitcher. Hoffy took me under his wing. The first time I ran with him, I nearly fell over. And he was just at the start of his daily workout. He showed me what it meant to be prepared mentally and physically. I kept up the best I could, but there was only one Trevor Hoffman. I can honestly say I've never seen anyone work harder." -- Scott Linebrink, Padres reliever from 2003-07
"I don't think he knows what anything less than 100 percent is. He has only one way of doing things, the right way. And that extends to everything he does." -- Bruce Bochy, Padres manager from 1995-2006
"I was out there in left when they first started playing 'Hells Bells' when Trevor entered the game. The crowd would go crazy. I'd get chills. But Trevor would just trot in from the bullpen. Head down, all business. I once waved as we passed. He didn't see me. He was so locked in when his number was called. He was what you wanted every teammate to be during a game, totally committed. But after and before the game, he was a great teammate who was there for everyone." -- Greg Vaughn, Padres outfielder from 1996-98
"The best teammate you could ever have." -- Brad Ausmus, Padres catcher from 1993-96
"It was hard not to do it the right way if you were on a team that included Trevor. He had that great leadership example of doing it the right way and giving it everything he had. We had a lot of players like that on the 1998 team. But when Trevor had something to say, he had everyone's attention." -- Chris Gomez, Padres infielder from 1996-2001
"Some people start and are stars. Others play a role on a team. Trevor treated everyone the same way. No matter who you were in the clubhouse, Trevor treated you as an important piece of the puzzle." -- Archi Cianfrocco, Padres infielder from 1993-98
"There's always nerves with a ninth-inning lead in a close game. But Trevor reduced that to almost nothing. Instead of chewing on your nails, you'd watch him work over hitters with that fastball-change combo." -- Jake Peavy, Padres starter from 2002-08
"From my distant viewing spot, I used to try to guess with the hitter when Trevor was pitching in the ninth. It was going to be fastball or changeup. That part was easy. But not only did the different speeds throw the hitter off, there was the angle and the movement on his pitches. He got some ugly swings from really good hitters." -- The late Tony Gwynn, Padres right fielder from 1982-2001
"Trevor is the complete package, exactly what you want in a player, a teammate and a friend. It's hard to say more than that about anyone. As a player, I had the chance to be his teammate and face him as an opponent. I'd rather be his teammate. It was electric to be on the field when he entered games in San Diego. But he was the same person, win or lose. He was always there for everyone. The perfect person to look up to as a sports champion." -- Mark Sweeney, Padres hitter from 1997-98, 2002, '05