Hoffman's Debut Only Fans Flames : Padres: In his first outing after trade that sent Sheffield to Florida, relief pitcher from O.C. is hit hard by Reds.

Hoffman’s Debut Only Fans Flames : Padres: In his first outing after trade that sent Sheffield to Florida, relief pitcher from O.C. is hit hard by Reds.

By CHRIS FOSTER

June 26, 1993 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

SAN DIEGO — Trevor Hoffman took some heat instead of throwing it Friday night.

Hoffman, a 25-year-old relief pitcher, made his debut with the San Diego Padres a day after being acquired from the Florida Marlins. The Padres gave up all-star third baseman Gary Sheffield to get him, but Hoffman’s performance Friday merely added fuel to the Padres’ fire sale.

Hoffman gave up three runs on four hits in the eighth inning of the Padres’ 6-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. He left after one inning and was booed as he walked off the field.

“They had a right to boo,” Hoffman said. “I didn’t get the job done. It was a situation where I needed to bear down and I didn’t. I didn’t perform to anyone’s expectations.”

Actually, fans already were smarting from the trade because the Padres gave up the National League’s 1992 batting champion. Sheffield, who nearly won the triple crown, and relief pitcher Rich Rodriguez went to the Marlins on Thursday for pitchers Hoffman, Jose Martinez and Andres Berumen.

The deal did not sit well with fans, who have not hidden their displeasure.

“That’s been in the back of my mind,” Hoffman said before the game. “Luckily, I’m not a third baseman.”

He also wasn’t much of a pitcher, at least on Friday.

Hoffman got Hal Morris to ground out to start the eighth, but walked Kevin Mitchell. He then gave up four consecutive hits, starting with Bobby Kelly’s double.

His final two outs were gifts. Right fielder Phil Clark threw out Kelly at the plate and Hoffman struck out pitcher Tim Belcher to end the inning.,

It was hardly a beginning to inspire fans.

They already were upset at the Padres, whom they feel are dumping high-paid players. Sheffield and Rodriguez represented approximately $3.11 million in salary.

Martinez and Berumen were assigned to the minor leagues, leaving Hoffman the focal point of the trade. How he does likely will determine how fans view the trade, at least in the short term.

“I can understand how the fans must feel,” Hoffman said. “Gary is a great player and I’ve had only three months’ experience in the big leagues. Hopefully, I can gain some respect.”

Easier said than done.

Padre fans reacted strongly to the news Thursday. Most anger was directed at Tom Werner, the team’s chairman and managing partner. They booed when he deal was displayed on the message board. Several fans were ejected from the stadium for carrying signs and banners criticizing the deal.

Two season ticket-holders were so outraged they filed a class-action lawsuit, alleging that the team had reneged on a promise made in a letter to ticket holders not to trade Sheffield. Another fan sent a letter to The Times, in which he referred to Werner as a “gutless and spineless worm.”

“I was a little surprised how the fans reacted,” Padre Manager Jim Riggleman said. “It’s a situation where we’re a sixth-place ball club. If we’re going to be a sixth-place club, we might as well go in a different direction and attain some arms.”

Into that storm comes Hoffman, who was an infielder until 1991.

Although he has spent only three months in the major leagues, Hoffman already has shown some ability. His fastball has been clocked around 100 m.p.h. and he has developed a wicked curve.

Hoffman was 2-2 with two saves and a 3.28 earned-run average for the Marlins. He was used primarily as a set-up man for former Angel Bryan Harvey, who has 22 saves.

“When (Padre General Manager) Randy Smith told me that the Marlins had called asking about Gary, I told him that the guy on the top of the list was Trevor Hoffman,” Riggleman said.

Hoffman, an 11th-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 1989, saved 20 games in 1991, splitting time between Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Chattanooga, Tenn. He averaged 13.9 strikeouts per nine innings. He saved six games at Nashville last year.

But the Reds left him unprotected for the expansion draft and the Marlins snapped him up as their fourth pick in the first round.

But his stay there was short. His evening Friday was long.

Said Hoffman: “This is not the way I wanted to start here at all.”