Former San Diego Padres relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman, San Diego Sockers legend Brian Quinn and multi-talented wrestler-football star Stephen Neal were elected to the Breitbard Hall of Fame, class of 2013 on February 25, 2013. More than 800 guests from around the local sports community gathered to honor the athletes and scores of others from the high school, collegiate and amateur ranks, who were also honored.
Hoffman, Quinn and Neal joined No. 55, the San Diego Chargers’ Junior Seau, who posthumously was unanimously voted into the Hall of Fame a year early.
Padres fans could hardly wait until the ninth innings when Hoffman would enter the game to the sound of “Hells Bells” and help nail down a victory. The converted shortstop was the first player in Major League Baseball (MLB) history to achieve 500 and 600 saves in his 18-year career and when he retired in 2010, he was the MLB’s all-time saves leader.
Hoffman had at least 30 saves in 13 of his 14 years with the Padres, was a seven-time All-Star selection and twice was runner-up for the Cy Young Award.
Quinn was one of the most popular members of the highly successful San Diego Sockers indoor soccer team as a player from 1983-1991 and as its coach from 2001-2004. He scored 188 goals during his tenure with the Sockers, during which time the team captured six Major Indoor Soccer League titles.
A native of Ireland, Quinn became a U.S. citizen and played for the National team from 1991-1994, earning 48 caps and scoring his lone international goal in a 3-0 win over Guatemala. He is currently an assistant coach at the University of San Diego and a director of the San Diego Soccer Club.
Neal was a dominant wrestler and football player at San Diego High before going to Cal State Bakersfield where he compiled a 151-10 record, winning NCAA titles his junior and senior years. In 1999 he won the FILA outstanding wrestler award, given to No. 1 wrestler in the world.
Although he had not played on the offensive line for more than five years, in 2001 Neal had a tryout with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent. He went on to win three Super Bowl rings (XXXVI, XXXVII, XXXIX), starting 81 of 86 games in a 10-year career.
