Trevor Hoffman interviewed by Robb Abramson of The Nephews
On Sunday September 29th, 1996, on the last day of the regular season, the San Diego Padres' Trevor Hoffman took the hill in the bottom of the 11th inning at Chavez Ravine to face what would be the final four batters of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup that day, earning his career-high 42nd save of the season, completing the monumental three game sweep of their arch-rivals, and clenching the National League West pennant all in one fell swoop. (Watching the replay following the called third strike on Chad Curtis in the biggest K of his career, one can easily make out the words on Archi Cianfrocco's lips as he leaps from the dugout: "Dogpile on Trevor!"). That save ranked Trevor third in the National league for 1996, behind veterans Tim Worrell and Mark Wohlers. But more importantly, it secured Trevor's place as "The Man" of the Padres bullpen, which ended the regular season with the lowest ERA of any National League bully. I spoke with Trevor about baseball, rock music, the role of the closer and other crap in the Padres dugout on August 24th at the Murph, shortly before the Pads went out and hammered the Phillies behind ace Joey Hamilton. (Trev' didn't pitch that night as there was no save situation that required his unique services). Away from the mound in a tense situation and his "Stronger-than-Dirt" game-face scowl, Trevor's a really nice guy-- very bright, sharp as a tack, chock full o' personality and a great sense of humor, (at least he humored me by agreeing to do this somewhat tasteless interview for this somewhat wack-ass magazine).
THC: I think that pertaining to my role, being a closer, Rock music has a lot to do with my personality and the way I prepare for my game. It's fast and loud, and kind of a big charge when I come into the ball game. You gotta have that kind of an attitude. When I go to concerts and stuff like that, and I see musicians up there, you know, they're really giving their heart and soul to what they're doing- and it's fast paced. It's not that deliberate 9-inning work that a starter will do- it's kind of 'here it is!'; it's full-throttle and 'let's get after it.' So I think there are a lot of comparisons you can draw between them.
CM: Do you ever get out to see shows during the season?
THC: We're usually playing during the evening, and when we get into a city where somebody's playing, we don't usually get an opportunity- but recently we had a day off and got a chance to go see Harry Connick Jr. play, and it was a lot more funky than I thought it would be, you know. I always thought of him as this sort of neo-Sinatra guy, but he really showed a lot of diversity.
CM: There's an ongoing ChinMusic! forum for discussing the roles of Rock band members and the players on the ball field and how they represent each other. Which position would you consider to be the most drummer-like on a baseball team?
THC: Definitely the catcher. He's kind of maintaining the beat, or the pace of the game...
CM: (This is where I butt-in with my great 'Shortstop as Drummer' analogy/theory, with which he disagrees, and further expands on his take, smashing me like a dirt-clod on the mound).
THC: ...the drummer you can never see- he's behind all that equipment, and the catcher has all this gear on and you can't see his face, tools of ignorance, I guess you could say.
CM: The pitcher can take on that singer-that-doesn't-play-an-instrument personality...
THC: That's cool. I'll be that guy!
CM: ...outfielders are kind of the flashy, lead-guitarist types...
THC: Now we're stretching it a bit.
CM: ...who don't do much else, but...
THC: They do a lot for me. They get those outs.
CM: Every young boy growing up either wants to be Rock star or a pro
ball-player. What made you decide? THC: I grew up in Anaheim, but was a big Red Sox fan because my brother, who's ten years older than me, played for that organization for 8 years or so, and music was never really much of a focus, because we'd be going to basketball games or baseball games with my brothers- but actually there was a little bit of a musical emphasis placed on us by my father who was a singer in the 40's and 50's (Mr. Hoffman also worked at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, and was known as the "Singing Peanut Vendor"-ed). I tried playing the piano, but there was something about being told to go in and do your piano lessons when you're 9 or 10 years old that,... I kind of got ragged on in the neighborhood. But I tell you what, I wish I would have stuck with it, because that would be a great instrument to be able to play.
CM: Well I think you made the right decision for you between baseball and music.
THC: Well, there's not a lot of people that make it in either profession.
CM: What band would you want to be in if you could play?
THC: I think it would depend on what mood I was in. If it's a Friday and I want a charge, I think anyone would want to sing in front of Eddie Van- when it comes down to Sunday afternoon by the water, I'd want to be playing a grand piano -whatever the mood dictates.
CM: Who decided that you should be a pitcher?
THC: I had to make the ultimate decision- it was either give it up, or try pitching, and I wasn't quite ready to hang up my spikes. My manager in Charleston, WV, Jim Lett- who's now first base coach on the Reds, he kind of talked to the organization people and said, "He ain't gonna make it, but we should take advantage of his arm." So we worked on it from there.
CM: What was the first concert you ever went to?
THC: Boy, that's going back a little bit,... but actually it was Stryper and Hurricane at Irvine Amphitheatre, and the other one was I think the Hooters, but they're long gone now. Those were my first as far as I can remember. (Trevor's disclaimer) The only reason I went to Stryper was, I knew nothing about them, but my neighbor grew up with them in Whittier, and he got free tickets, so,...
CM: How long does it take for the initial shock of being in the big leagues wears off?
THC: It takes about a year, to be honest with you. Cuz you're up there, knees knocking, and you're just trying to get everybody out, and you're looking down the gut at Barry Bonds diggin' in and some of those guys, and you better learn real fast or they'll ship you out and get someone else in there to get 'em out.
CM: What was your most memorable strikeout?
THC: By far it was my major league debut with the Florida Marlins in the third game of the Dodgers series to open the season- I came in with bases loaded, 2 outs in the 8th, and we were losing, but it was kind of a big situation to hold the deficit where it was at. I faced Eric Davis, took him to a full count, then whizzed a fastball by him for the out. I got a big ovation, and that was definitely the most memorable to date.
Well, since this interview took place, I think he will now and forever remember the two strikeouts he got in the last inning of the '96 regular season more than his first, (which ironically enough also came against those mullet-sportin' meathead Dodgers). Trevor is Rock and Roll personified on the hill. Bad shortstop makes good as a closer; and he has the benefit of not throwing his arm out a lot while he was younger, so he's got many good years of pitching to come. This forum question was asked to a number of other Padres' players that day. Starting pitcher Scott "Koufax" Sanders (who listens to Coolio, LLCoolJ, Des'ree, and anything else with the word 'cool' in it): "Oh, the drummer's definitely the catcher, man." Joey Hamilton (who pitched a peach of a game that day after listening to a full LP's worth of Motley Crue): "I don't know, maybe the pitcher?" Doug Bochtler, relief/set-up guy (who laughs a lot and loves country music): " I agree with Trevor." Actual catcher, Brian Johnson, the only one who agreed with me: " I think the catcher's like the bass player, the backbone of the sound."
(Robb Abramson has really curly hair which, if allowed to roam free, would look as cool as Oscar Gamble's 'fro, circa 1975.)
*Ed. note-- earlier in the Hoffman interview, Trevor refers to guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen as "Eddie Van" in the context of listening to Van Halen when he wants to get a "charge". This in and of itself seems normal--"Hot For Teacher" or perhaps "D.O.A." are pretty hoppin' tunes --ideal for jumping in the Camaro and hitting the road for an evening of wanton debauchery. In fact, this is not unlike the film "A Clockwork Orange", which sets scenes of violence and bombastic hedonism to a moving score of music from Ludwig Van Beethoven, himself a virtuoso. Throughout the film, Beethoven is referred to by the protagonist/narrator as "Ludwig Van". Coincidence?... hmmmmnnn...
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