Top of the saves chart

SAN DIEGO -- In the span of 18 hours and two appearances that rocked Petco Park, Trevor Hoffman might have earned more than just first place on baseball's all-time saves list.

With saves No. 478 and 479 secured in front of raucous crowds in the San Diego Padres' final two regular-season home games, Hoffman caught and then passed Lee Smith. There's also the chance that Hoffman brought a bit more respect to both the statistic itself and closers in general than they currently enjoy.

As the 38-year-old Hoffman methodically pitched his way to the top of the list during the Padres' playoff push -- with a few speed bumps mixed in that proved he's human -- there was grumbling from certain quarters that the save is a cheap stat and relievers don't have to pitch as long to get them as their predecessors did.

It's one thing for Padres manager Bruce Bochy to defend Hoffman, especially since he's known no other closer in his 12 seasons at the helm, save for 2003 when Rod Beck filled in while Hoffman was rehabbing from two shoulder operations.

It's quite another when the opposing manager not only swears by the value of a consistent closer, but then stands on the top step of the dugout and claps while Hoffman's feat is being celebrated, with his players doing the same behind him.

As much as he respects Hoffman, Pittsburgh Pirates manager Jim Tracy really hoped to watch on TV as the right-hander broke Smith's record against another team. Tracy saw enough of Hoffman while managing the rival Los Angeles Dodgers the previous five seasons that he hates AC/DC's "Hells Bells," which blares while Hoffman trots in from the bullpen. When he hears his kids playing it at home, he teasingly tells them, "Hey, turn it off!"

Tracy didn't get his wish. The bells gonged long, loud and menacingly as Hoffman earned save No. 478 in a 2-1 win on Saturday night before a sellout crowd at full throat. Hoffman claimed the record on Sunday with a 1-2-3 ninth before an equally vocal crowd, in a 2-1 win that kept the Padres 1 1/2 games in front of Los Angeles in the NL West race.

Tracy spent a great deal of time during the weekend talking about closers.

"The guy who pitches the ninth inning is the most important player you've got," Tracy said. Nothing, he added, is more demoralizing and can fracture a club more than continually blowing ninth-inning leads.

Asked what he thinks about critics of closers and saves -- which by baseball standards is a relatively new stat -- Tracy said:

"I think all of them should come here and sit in this chair here and sit through a few of those ninth innings, OK, and realize the ramifications of some of the descriptions that are now necessary for you to give in a game that you've led for 2 1/2 hours and got beat in 15 minutes. They should try that out and tell me that that's an insignificant position on a baseball team."

Tracy presided over Hoffman's conversion from a weak-hitting shortstop to reliever in the minor leagues, saying it was "absolutely a 100-percent pleasure" to have managed him.

Because of his work ethic, longevity and resiliency, Hoffman "is one of the highlights of major league baseball," Tracy said.

Now that Hoffman's at the top of the list, "Does that make him better than a Dennis Eckersley or a Rollie Fingers or a Goose Gossage or a guy who's not on the list that I managed for three years, Eric Gagne?" Tracy asked Sunday. "They are an elite group of people."

And a group that's had a hard time reaching the Hall of Fame. Smith and Gossage aren't in. Earlier this year, Bruce Sutter joined Hoyt Wilhelm, Fingers and Eckersley as the only relief pitchers in the Hall.

"I think that's going to change," Bochy said. "It's going to get recognized more, get more attention with Hoffman and (Mariano) Rivera as they continue to accumulate saves. I think people are going to realize how important, how valuable, these guys are to the team. They're just like a position player. I mean, they're available most every day."

Bochy doesn't think the save, which is relatively young by baseball standards, is a petty stat.

"That's out of their hands," Bochy said of closers, who no longer have to work two or three innings to get saves. "That's where the game has gone."

Hoffman's conversion percentage of .895 (479 of 535) is tops among relievers with at least 190 save opportunities since the blown save rule went into effect in 1988.

To put Hoffman's worth to the Padres in perspective, they've been to the playoffs only four times since their inaugural season of 1969, and the relief ace has been a mainstay on three of those clubs.

Hoffman has never been comfortable talking about his accomplishments. He was glad that his pursuit of the saves record came with the Padres trying to reach the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time ever.

He appreciated the Pirates' classy show of respect, and was touched by his teammates' affection.

"You can do tremendous things in this game, but they're all for naught if you're selfish with it," he said. "To have your teammates revere you for some of the things that you do, not because of what you do on the field but hopefully for what you stand for, I think that shone through today."