The San Diego City Council voted Monday to rename a street outside Petco Park after Hall of Fame pitcher and former San Diego Padre Trevor Hoffman.
In July, representatives from the Padres requested the name change for a stretch of Park Boulevard between Imperial Avenue and Tony Gwynn Drive. The Padres and the city plan to officially change the street name to Trevor Hoffman Way on Friday.
"We're thrilled that Padres fans will forever be able to visit the iconic intersection of Trevor Hoffman Way and Tony Gwynn Drive at Petco Park," Padres Executive Chairman Ron Fowler and General Partner Peter Seidler said in a jointly issued statement. "They are two of the greatest individuals to ever wear a Padres uniform, and we're thankful to the City of San Diego for recognizing their contributions to America's Finest City."
Hoffman had 601 saves during his 18-year major league career that included 15 1/2 years with the Padres. Hoffman made seven all-star game appearances and was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America in January, along with Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero and Jim Thome. He is the third Padre in the Hall of Fame, joining Gwynn and Dave Winfield.
"Obviously more than happy to support this," said City Councilman Mark Kersey. "This is something that we don't do very often because it's a hard process and we really reserve it for the most deserving San Diegans and this is a case where we've got a guy who, as we've heard from plenty of folks, is a Hall of Fame baseball player and human being."
The vote was 7-0. Council members Georgette Gomez and Lorie Zapf were absent.
