San Diego Padres' closer Trevor Hoffman watches his pitch in the ninth inning of the Padres 3-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, July 23, 1998 in San Diego. Hoffman earned his 32nd save of the season and his 40th consecutive save, tying him with Dennis Eckersley for the 2nd most consecutive saves, one away from the all-time record of 41. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

 Lenny Ignelzi

One of 34 names on MLB’s Hall of Fame ballot released last week is former Arizona shortstop Trevor Hoffman. It seems a no-brainer that Hoffman will be a first-ballot selection when results of the vote are announced early in 2017. Hoffman’s 601 career saves are an MLB record; he made seven All-Star teams. Five relievers are in the Hall of Fame: Goose Gossage, Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, Hoyt Wilhelm and Dennis Eckersley. 

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