By: Rebecca Herman
Trevor Hoffman was “my Padre.” He was traded to the Padres in 1993, the same year I relocated to San Diego. He was the first player that I followed his entire career. This past January, just like the prior two years – Wayne McBrayer, Trevor Herman, and I watched the MLB Hall of Fame announcement with great anticipation – but this year – the name we had been waiting for was finally heard – Trevor Hoffman! We immediately booked and paid for our hotel accommodations and determined we’d figure out the rest soon enough. We ended up making it a rather epic trip by adding our first visit to PNC Park before Cooperstown and Fenway Park afterwards.
Arriving in Cooperstown was surreal. We were there! We made sure to get to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum early on Saturday morning in hopes of avoiding the crowds. Being a member got us in before non-members and no waiting in lines. If you haven’t been, there are three levels to the museum, each very unique. There is so much to see. This is where we began to see all sorts of people wearing Padres gear. I really enjoyed the historical perspective of the museum, the thoughtful displays, and anything related to San Diego! Maybe the best part was running into long-time friends that we hadn’t seen in over a year, including Cy Young pitcher, Randy Jones.
Next, we decided to take-in the sights of this beautiful little town. Sidewalk vendors were plentiful and there were dozens of shops for baseball memorabilia. The streets were FILLED with baseball fans and most of them were wearing Padres shirts, jerseys, hats, etc. We found the Cooperstown Distillery and discovered they had specialty drinks to honor each inductee. Of course, we had to try “Trevor’s Relief” – Barrel Aged Gin, Peach Syrup, and Ginger Beer. It was fun to hang out there – visit with fans – and run into more Padres friends! For lunch we located and enjoyed the Doubleday Café. Very near Doubleday Field.
Induction Sunday we arrived very early – before 7 AM – and enjoyed breakfast at the Doubleday Café and some additional beverages at the Cooperstown Distillery before heading to the ceremony location. We met up with a group of our Padres friends and were able to get seating together. Based on our level of HOF membership, we had seats in section 3 of the inner section. We were there 3 hours early but that gave us time to visit with friends and take it all in. The ushers were fantastic … ensuring we had bottled water, fans, and commemorative programs. Several times I really thought I must be dreaming.
I truly enjoyed listening to the speeches – it was each inductee’s moment in the sun. Perhaps I’m a bit biased, but Trevor Hoffman’s speech was amazing! It wasn’t just the obligatory “thank you” to all who helped him and supported him – although that was included. It was a message of love, hope, dedication, sacrifice, leadership, family, and humility. He began with an “Oh Doctor!” in honor of Jerry Coleman. Quotes by John Wooden were woven throughout. It was stunning to see the number of former teammates that traveled to Cooperstown for the induction. In an unprecedented move, Bruce Bochy was granted a game day off to be there for Hoffman. Seeing Bochy and the team reunited demonstrated the amazing culture of friendship and teamwork that was built during that era. I left the ceremony with my heart filled with gratitude for the experience and the opportunity to share it with friends and loved ones.
Sometimes it is challenging to be a Padres fan. We aren’t well-known. We don’t have a no-hitter or a World Series Championship. We always seem to be building for the elusive future. I now live in a town that is 45% Cardinals Nation, 45% Cubs Nation, and 10% Other. When people say who is your team – “Padres” – I get, “Why?” or “I’m sorry” or “No, I meant MAJOR League team.” Sigh. But this weekend… this moment in time… the Padres fans took over Cooperstown. We were a force to be reckoned with and there was no doubt that we love our players, our history, and especially – Trevor Hoffman. I was proud to be a Padres fan.