Hoffman leads Hall candidates with Crew ties

MILWAUKEE -- After narrowly missing the cut last year, Trevor Hoffman is getting another crack at Cooperstown.
Hoffman, who spent most of his career as a shutdown closer for the Padres before capping his career with two seasons in Milwaukee and making the National League All-Star team in 2009, was the most notable player with Brewers ties on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot unveiled Monday. The list also includes returning candidate Gary Sheffield and first-timer Carlos Lee.
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Results will be announced Jan. 24 on MLB Network.
This will be Hoffman's third year on the ballot. A year ago, he missed induction by a mere five votes while appearing on 74 percent of ballots, 1 percent shy of the threshold required for election.
"I don't take being on the ballot lightly," Hoffman said in a statement after the result. "I'm grateful for every vote, and I'm truly humbled to have come so close. I hope to one day soon share a Hall of Fame celebration with my family and friends."

Hoffman ranks second all-time with 601 saves, the final 47 of which he logged in a Brewers uniform. He became the first player to reach 600 saves on Sept. 7, 2010, at Miller Park, when Hoffman closed a Brewers win over the Cardinals.
Here's a look at other former Brewers on the ballot:
Sheffield
Year on ballot (Pct. of votes last year): Fourth, 13.3 pct.
Seasons with Brewers: 1988-91
One of the most controversial players in Brewers history, Sheffield began his tumultuous Milwaukee tenure as the organization's first-round Draft pick (sixth overall) in 1986 and reaching the Majors in 1988 at the age of 19. Whether he forced his way out after parts of four seasons is up for debate, but Sheffield's production over the remainder of a career that took him to San Diego, Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York, Detroit and back to New York is not. Sheffield, who finished with 509 home runs and a .907 lifetime OPS and made nine All-Star teams, has garnered 11.6 to 13.3 percent of the vote in his first three years on the ballot.
Lee
Year on ballot: First
Seasons with Brewers: 2005-06
"El Caballo" hit 60 homers in 264 games for the Brewers and made the All-Star team in each of his two seasons with the club. Brewers GM Doug Melvin wanted to re-sign Lee as he approached free agency in 2006, but it became evident that Lee would be out of Milwaukee's price range so he was traded to Texas instead. He played long enough to rank in MLB's top 90 all-time in home runs (358), extra-base hits (846) and RBIs (1,363).