Once the new class of Hall of Famers were introduced today, discussion naturally jumped ahead to next year's eligible players. Padres legend, Trevor Hoffman, will be among those players voted on by baseball writers for the first time. He's been spoken of as a "Future Hall of Famer" since his playing days. Now with his eligibility so close it appears his chances of making it in have diminished. People don't put as much value in the save statistic anymore, unless you're media darling Mariano Rivera. Where once it was all but certain he'd take his place among the immortals now, not so much. I'm nervous for him.
Trevor Hoffman is going to have a hard time getting in, I think. The younger the electorate skews, the less emphasis on closers and saves.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 6, 2015I asked Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn in 2011 about carrying the mantle of Future Hall of Famer for so long and what he thought about Trevor's chances at the time. He said he thought it might be tough because he's a closer, but in his mind that there was no doubt that he belonged in the Hall.
It wasn't until today, when I went looking, that I realized I never posted Trevor Hoffman's response to Gwynn's words when I had a chance to interview him in 2013. For the first time apparently, I bring you Hoffman's own thoughts on the subject.