Hall of Fame Class of 2018

Playing a position traditionally associated with aggression and high velocity, a converted infielder with just one kidney and a diminished fastball became one of the most accomplished closers in history.

Now, Trevor Hoffman closes out his career with the ultimate achievement: Election to the Hall of Fame.

Born Oct. 13, 1967 in Bellflower, Calif., Hoffman grew up in a baseball-centric atmosphere. His father, Ed, was a former Marine who became a fan-favorite as “The Singing Usher” at Los Angeles Angels games, while his older brother Glenn played shortstop for nine seasons in the major leagues.

But for Hoffman, success on the diamond was far from certain. Just six weeks after birth, Hoffman had a damaged kidney removed and was not allowed to play contact sports. Hoffman followed his older brother into baseball, batting .371 as a 150-pound shortstop during his junior season at the University of Arizona. In 1989, Hoffman signed a $3,000 contract as the Cincinnati Reds’ 11th-round draft choice.

Fingers’ record was only the beginning for Hoffman. In 1998, he enjoyed one his best big league seasons, setting an MLB record (since broken) with 41 consecutive converted saves, finishing runner-up finish in the NL CY Young Award race and saving three games in the NL playoffs to help lead the Padres to the World Series. At the same time, Hoffman garnered national attention for entering the ballpark to the tune of AC/DC’s “Hell’s Bell’s,” a ritual that came to be known among the Friars’ faithful as “Trevor Time.”

Though the Padres regressed after their Fall Classic run, Hoffman continued to improve. He was an All-Star Game selection in 1999, 2000 and 2002, and set an MLB record with his fourth consecutive 40-save season in 2001. Most remarkably, he did so even as his fastball kept getting slower, eventually settling below 85 mph.

“He throws a pitch that looks so tempting that you can't lay off it,” said future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. “I feel vulnerable when I throw 93-96 miles per hour. He's throwing 81 and doing it with full confidence.”

Larry Wayne Jones was born April 24, 1972 in DeLand, Fla., and was raised in nearby Pierson. A two-sport athlete in high school who chose baseball over college football opportunities at Southern California and the University of Florida, Jones was the first overall choice in the 1990 MLB Draft by the Braves, who were then at the early stages of a rebuilding process headed by future Hall of Famers Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz.

Jones ripped through the Braves’ minor league system and surfaced in the majors at the end of 1994. But Jones injured his knee in Spring Training of 1994, costing him the entire season.

Healthy again in 1995, Jones won the Braves’ third base job and became – at age 23 – a critical part of an Atlanta team that won the World Series title that fall. Jones finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting that year, then followed up in 1996 with the first of eight straight seasons with at least 100 RBI.

His play peaked in 1999 when he was named the NL Most Valuable Player after hitting .319 with 45 home runs and 110 RBI to go along with 126 walks. Jones led the Braves to the National League pennant that year, the third time in five seasons Atlanta captured the NL crown.

From 1995-2005, the Braves qualified for the Postseason each year, winning the National League East title each year. Overall, Jones was a part of 13 Atlanta teams that reached the Postseason. In 21 series, Jones hit .287 with 13 homers and 47 RBI in 93 games.

During the regular season, Jones seemed to improve with age – winning his first batting title at the age of 36 in 2008 when he hit .364 while also leading the NL in on-base percentage with a mark of .470. At the end of his 19 years in the big leagues – all with the Braves – Jones had totaled 2,726 hits, 468 home runs and more walks (1,512) than strikeouts (1,409). He was named to eight All-Star Games and finished in the Top 10 of the NL MVP voting five times.

Jones is one of only nine players in big league history with at least 400 home runs, a .300 average, a .400 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging average. His 1,623 RBI are the most of any player whose primary position was third base.

He was a four-time World Series winner, a five-time All-Star and the author of what is possibly the greatest Game 7 World Series pitching performance of all-time.

But not even 254 big league victories and 14 straight Opening Day starts do justice to the legacy of Jack Morris, whose career can be summed up in one word: Competitor.

Morris, who pitched for the Tigers, Twins, Blue Jays and Indians over 18 big league seasons, can now be described another way: Hall of Famer.

Born May 15, 1955, in St. Paul., Minn., Morris began his baseball odyssey under the wing of his father, Arvid, who instilled an unquenchable work ethic in his son. After attending Brigham Young University, Morris was a fifth-round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers in 1976.

One year later, he was in the majors, and by 1979 Morris earned a regular rotation spot with Detroit.

Anderson joined Morris in Detroit that year, and by 1981 Morris and the Tigers were on the verge of greatness. That year, Morris led the American League with 14 wins, finishing third in the AL Cy Young voting.

Morris won 20 games in 1983 and again finished third in the Cy Young vote, setting the stage for the Tigers’ championship season in 1984. Morris pitched a no-hitter on April 7 of that year, and the Tigers bolted to a 35-5 start – the best in baseball history. Morris finished the season with a record of 19-11, and the Tigers lost only one game in the Postseason – Morris won three – to roll to the World Series title.

Morris remained with the Tigers for six more seasons, winning 21 games in 1986 and leading Detroit to the AL East title in 1987. Following the 1990 season, he signed a free agent deal with the Minnesota Twins – who had finished in last place in the AL West in 1990.

In 1991, Morris went 18-12 with an AL-best 35 starts to help the Twins win the division title. In the playoffs, he won two games against Toronto in the ALCS, then took the ball in Games 1 and 4 of the World Series against the Braves, earning a win and a no-decision.

After struggling in his pro debut in 1989, Thome worked with former Indians hitting coach – and future Tribe manager – Charlie Manuel in extended Spring Training in 1990. Quickly, Thome established himself as a legitimate hitting prospect with a smooth left-handed swing that produced both power and average.

By 1992, Thome had made it to the big leagues. Two years later, he was Cleveland’s every day third baseman.

Thome was part of a loaded Indians lineup that featured young stars like Kenny Lofton, Carlos Baerga, Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez. He hit .314 in 1995 with 25 homers and 73 RBI, helping the Indians reach their first World Series in 41 years. Over the next four seasons, the World Series title remained elusive for Cleveland, but Thome blossomed into one of the game’s best power/on-base threats.

In both the 1998 ALCS vs. New York and the 1999 ALDS vs. Boston, Thome crushed four home runs.

Moving to first base following the 1996 season after the Indians traded for Matt Williams, Thome continues his assault on American League pitching. From 1996 through 2002, Thome drove in at least 100 runs in six of seven seasons and led the league in walks three times.

And in 2002, Thome’s work on and off the field was recognized when he was named the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, reflecting his community involvement, sportsmanship and play between the lines.

Following a 52-home run campaign in 2002 that saw him lead the AL in slugging percentage with a mark of .677, Thome signed a six-year free agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He hit 47 home runs in 2003 and 42 more in 2004, but missed most of the 2005 season with an elbow injury.

With Ryan Howard primed to take over first base, the Phillies traded Thome to the White Sox following the 2005 season. In Chicago, Thome hit 134 home runs over four seasons, then became a “hired bat” during his final years – playing for the Dodgers, Twins and Orioles as well as second stints with the Indians and Phillies.

And as he moved up the all-time lists, Thome savored the journey. He visited the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown with his father, Chuck, in August of 2008 to donate the ball he hit for his 500th career home run on Sept. 16, 2007.

When he retired, Thome had totaled 1,583 runs scored, 612 home runs and 1,699 RBI. Only seven other players in big league history – Bonds, Ruth, Williams, Manny Ramirez, Mickey Mantle, Frank Thomas and Jimmie Foxx – have at least 500 home runs, a .400 on-base percentage and a .550 slugging average. He was named to five All-Star Games and finished in the Top 10 of his league’s Most Valuable Player balloting four times.