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So the Padres said goodbye to one of their icons, and I guess they believe they are a better team for it. Credit to them for thinking with their brains and not their hearts. I'm glad they have a better understanding of dollars and cents and WHIP and ERA than I do, because my overly sentimental take on the situation is that our franchise was lessened yesterday. Not just because Trevor is leaving. It was bound to happen, one way or another. Legends move on. They have their numbers retired, become statues, get enshrined. But apparently Trevor's service to this organization, his records, his hard work, his consistency, his contributions to city of San Diego, didn't add up to a sit down with ownership to tell him he wasn't going to be a part of this road to nowhere that the San Diego Padres have become. THAT is was hurt our franchise. The Two Stooges couldn't even look him in the eye. They leave it to KT to face the wolves. (I don't believe for a second that KT's input was even considered in this decision. Trev signed his last deal, turning down more money and more years, partly out of loyalty to Towers. No way he wanted Trevor's exit handled like this.) Trevor has always spoken his mind, much to a lot of people's chagrin. The Stooges knew that if they sat down with him and tried to give him the same BS song and dance they are trying to sell us, he would destroy them. So better to whisk him out the door. After all, it's a business. Got to think with your brain, not your heart. 

TO HELL WITH THAT!!!

This is a time to think with your heart. What happens if you bring Trevor back with the kind of deal he was looking for? You give fans a reason to come out and watch your otherwise sorry ball club. You give a franchise legend the chance to pursue an unprecedented milestone in the uniform he became a Hall of Famer in. You pay back the loyalty he has shown you time and again. You give your young players access to his mind and exposure to his professionalism. And what does it cost you? A little more than you wanted to pay. SO WHAT? Where are you putting that money instead? Does giving Trevor what he wanted prevent you from signing that big free agent that's going to turn your team into a contender? Don't make me laugh. Does it impede the rebuilding process? Not hardly. This wasn't a Randy Myers-like, hold the team back for years type of deal. Baseball is a business, right? The quest for 600 would have moved jerseys, shirts, bobbleheads, not to mention tickets and all the specialty commemorative garbage they would have slapped together to take advantage of it. And, oh yeah, it would have given our young players the chance to quietly develop and improve, with Trevor there to take some of the focus away from the won-loss record. Tony Gwynn was a broken old man in 2001, and something was worked out. His last season was a pinch-hitting farewell tour, which contributed little to the team, on paper. But dammit, he was Tony Gwynn. He improved your team just by sitting on your bench, and he was an institution. YOU WORK SOMETHING OUT. But I guess I'm forgetting that Sandy Alderson wasn't part of the organization back then. Do we even want to think about how that would have been handled if he had been? The sun is setting on Trevor, but he still contributed more to the Padres in his last year than Mr. Padre did in his. He will contribute on the field to whoever picks him up for this season and maybe the next. 

I do not feel sorry for Trevor Hoffman. He is a millionaire playing a child's game. He will be fine. I feel sorry for myself and for us. I have seen my last Trevor Time. AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS MY LAST ONE AT THE TIME. I didn't get to say goodbye, and that is unforgivable. And to top it off, his exit was handled so badly, it has jeopardized his future with the organization after his playing days are over. He wanted to tie himself to the Padres for the foreseeable future, but Sandy just couldn't have that. Now we are looking at an Ozzie Smith situation, where Trevor may not want to come back for any kind of Trevor Hoffman Day or jersey retirement, or anything as long as the current administration is still in charge. I mean, we hope Trevor is bigger than that, but I won't blame him for being bitter if he holds a grudge. Tony Gwynn's last game was an emotional experience and one of my personal highlights as a Padre fan. I shook his hand. I said thank you and goodbye. And he looked me in the eye and thanked me back. DAMN YOU ALDERSON, I WANTED TO SAY GOODBYE!!

But we don't get any of that, because, you see, that's just too sentimental. Baseball is a hard business, and I can't see past my emotion to what is truly best for the team. Kicking an icon to the curb, while at the same time saying "We'll we made an offer." That's what's best for the team. The San Diego Padres got a lot better yesterday, apparently. The front office really improved the ball club. I must just be too emotional to see it.

Baseball has always been about feel for me. I don't get wrapped up in all the excruciating minutia of geek ass stats and I hate the money aspect of the game. I love going to the ball park to hear the pop of the glove and the crack of the bat. I love going to the ball park to see the occasional player that captures my heart and my imagination. We've lost one of those players, and I feel terrible about it. My heart is hurting and my brain tells me that my team has gone from being bad to being forgettable. And I feel that that's a whole lot worse.

My personal top Trevor moments (witnessed in person):

Trevor closes down Qualcomm: The team lost, but seeing Trevor back after a season long rehab was a great way to say goodbye to the Q.

Trevor returns as closer to open Petco: Yeah, he blew the save, but after his career was in jeopardy, it was great to see him with the ball in the ninth to open the new park.

Trevor saves Game 3 of 1998 NLDS: This was by far the craziest, loudest Trevor Time I ever witnessed. Trevor struck out the side.

Trevor closes out the 1998 NLDS: It wasn't a save situation, but Trevor was on the mound to clinch the Padres first playoff series win since 1984.

Trevor saves Game 3 of 1998 NLCS: At this point I knew we were going to the World Series. Trevor struck out the side.

Trevor ties Lee Smith: 478 came against the Pirates in a packed Petco down the stretch of a pennant race, when we needed every game.

500: It was only fitting that it came against the Dodgers. The first ever to 500.

#1 - Trevor passes Lee Smith: It came to preserve a 2-1 win in a game the Padres had to have down the stretch of the 2006 divisional race. And it proved statistically what we already knew to be true: Trevor Hoffman is the greatest closer of all time.

Goodbye, Trevor. Thanks for the memories.