For San Diego sports fans, 2018 couldn't come fast enough.
After losing their NFL team in 2017 to a city to the north, news that one of the city's most beloved sports icons will enter the MLB hall of fame was a salve on an open wound.
Trevor Hoffman spent 16 years with the Padres, his signature entrance to the iconic rock of AC/DC's "Hell's Bells," a tone setting moment for fans. Hoffman finished his MLB career with 601 saves, which was a record when he retired and he's still second to just the great Mariano Rivera.
Hoffman's call was recorded and posted online by the San Diego Padres twitter feed:
https://twitter.com/Padres/status/956312140238938112
For many of his years, Trevor Time meant winning times for the organization, helping the Padres to the 1998 NL pennant.
Shortly after the announcement, Padres’ Executive Chairman Ron Fowler and General Partner Peter Seidler released the following statement:
“On behalf of the entire Padres family, we would like to send our heartfelt congratulations to Trevor Hoffman and the Class of 2018 on being elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Since 1993, when he first donned a Padres uniform, Trevor has represented our organization and the City of San Diego with an incredible sense of class and dignity. Not only is Trevor the all-time National League saves leader, he is an even better human being, and we are thrilled that he will be enshrined in Cooperstown as a Padre next to the greatest players in the history of baseball.”
The announcement was celebrated on twitter:
https://twitter.com/Padres/status/956319522876669953
https://twitter.com/FOXSportsSD/status/956306473759383552
Hoffman gained induction on his third attempt.
Hall of Fame weekend is July 27-30.