July 23--Minutes after picking up his 300th save in a 5-2 victory over the Twins, Angels closer Huston Street was quick to credit the man who he says had the biggest influence on the trajectory of his career -- longtime San Diego Padres legend Trevor Hoffman.
"I'm not even halfway there," Street said of Hoffman's 601 saves. "He's someone I continue to look up to, continue to keep in contact with."
Street pitched in San Diego from 2012-2014, accumulating 80 saves during that time. Hoffman, who retired in 2010, served as a special assistant for the Padres during Street's stint.
"He changed a lot of the processes in my day," Street said. "Not just my day when I'm at the field, but my day when I'm at the house, my day when I'm with my children, and the way you go about being a true professional. It's a 24-hour job. He really took a lot of pride in that, and I really leaned on him in those years there."
On Wednesday night, Street walked one batter in 16 pitches en route to his historic save. He helped the Angels pick up their 17th win in their last 20 games.
"It's definitely substantial when you look at the history of the game and how many people have done it," Street said. "At the same time, I'm 31 years old. I believe I'm in an organization that has a chance to win this year, the next year and a lot more after that."
