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Hoffman's generosity merits Rickey Award

By Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published October 2, 2008 at noon

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Hoffman has helped children with kidney ailments.

Hoffman has helped children with kidney ailments.

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San Diego Padres closer Trevor Hoffman, the all-time saves leader, was chosen the 2008 winner of the Branch Rickey Award, which honors someone involved in Major League Baseball for their community service.

The award, created by the Rotary Club of Denver, will be presented to Hoffman on Nov. 15 at the Denver Marriott City Center Hotel.

Long before he threw his first professional pitch, Hoffman underwent an experience that put him on the path to helping those undergoing kidney treatment.

Hoffman was 6 weeks old when his parents took him to a pediatrician for a routine checkup that determined the infant had a blockage in an artery leading to his right kidney, which already was nonfunctioning.

The doctor recommended the removal of the kidney - and it was - to avoid repercussions for Hoffman's healthy kidney, including potential infections and possibly dialysis.

Since 1996, Hoffman has been involved with the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California and the nephrology unit of the Children's Hospital of San Diego. Hoffman meets with Trevor's Kidney Kids before Saturday home games and provides support to them throughout the year.

In addition to kidney patients, Hoffman supports the Children's Hospital of San Diego with visits and fundraising functions.

Among other community endeavors, Hoffman purchases hot dogs and sodas for U.S. Marine recruits from Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego, who come to Padres games, and he purchases tickets for families of Marines.

During spring training in 2006, Padres general manager Kevin Towers, who just completed his 25th season in the organization, gave this summation of Hoffman to the Rocky Mountain News:

"In all my years with the Padres, he is by far the most impressive player that I've been around on and off the field. If you weigh in everything - talent, preparation, leader, father - there's no flaw.

"He's always in shape, always there in the offseason conditioning program working. He'll do anything you ask him to do in the community. He is by far the most impressive Padre I've been associated with."

Hoffman, who turns 41 on Oct. 13, holds the major league record with 554 saves. During the 2008 season, Hoffman went 30-for-34 in save opportunities for the last-place Padres, winners of 63 games. He was 3-6 in 48 games with a 3.77 ERA, his highest since 1995.

But after the All-Star break, Hoffman went 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA in 18 games and blew only one of 14 save opportunities. Hoffman extended his record to 13 seasons, all in succession, with at least 30 saves and holds the record with nine 40-save seasons.

Hoffman is the 17th winner of the Branch Rickey Award and the second from the Padres. Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn won it in 1995. The first winner in 1992 was Dave Winfield after his only season with the Toronto Blue Jays. Winfield spent the first eight of his 22 seasons in the majors with San Diego.