Trevor Hoffman is about to join another exclusive club.
After being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame last summer, the star relief pitcher will have his jersey retired by the University of Arizona next month.
The UA will retire Hoffman’s No. 15 on opening night at Hi Corbett Field. The Wildcats are scheduled to begin the 2019 season on Friday, Feb. 15, against UMass-Lowell.
At the UA, Hoffman, flipping the ball to J.J. Northam at second base for a force out, played shortstop and third base. He would go on to pitch in the major leagues for 18 seasons.
Hoffman — who had 601 major-league saves, mostly with the San Diego Padres — will participate in a pre-game ceremony, including throwing out the first pitch. In addition, the first 2,500 fans in attendance will receive a Hoffman bobblehead.
“What an honor,” Hoffman tweeted Monday.
The Hall of Fame has 325 elected members. Hoffman is about to become only the second UA player to have his jersey retired, joining Terry Francona. Their numbers will be displayed in right field at Hi Corbett.
Hoffman was a position player at Arizona, playing shortstop for the 1988 and ’89 teams. He hit .371 as a junior with 11 doubles and 45 RBIs and .284 as a senior with 13 doubles, six home runs and 38 RBIs.
Trevor Hoffman was an All-Pac-10 South infielder at Arizona before becoming one of baseball’s greatest closers ever. He’ll be honored Feb. 15.
The Cincinnati Reds selected Hoffman in the 11th round of the 1989 MLB draft. He began his major-league career with the Florida Marlins, who picked him in the 1992 expansion draft. The Marlins traded him to the Padres in June 1993, and he became one of the game’s top closers. His 601 saves rank second all time behind Mariano Rivera’s 652.
The UA also will recognize Hoffman on March 5 vs. Michigan State. Fans in attendance that night will receive a Hoffman trading card.
The Feb. 15 opener against UMass-Lowell is the first of a four-game series that includes a doubleheader the following day. After a four-game road trip to Rice and Houston, Arizona returns to Tucson for a 13-game homestand that begins against New Mexico on Feb. 27.
The Wildcats’ first official practice is scheduled for Friday.
Trevor Hoffman poses in front of a picture of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s first class of inductees. The ex-Cat joins 322 other greats in the hall.
