Great lengths: Hoffman honors British ties as coach

NEW YORK — Trevor Hoffman popped out of the Great Britain dugout on Thursday wearing his familiar No. 51, but the digits were set on a sea of navy blue donned by the British during this World Baseball Classic qualifier at MCU Park.

Great Britain played the nightcap against Israel at the backend of a first-day doubleheader in the modified double-elimination bracket. Brazil thumped Pakistan in the early game.

• World Baseball Classic coverage

The winner goes to Seoul, Korea, next March 7 to open Pool B play against host South Korea, Chinese Taipei and the Netherlands.

Hoffman, the National League’s all-time leader with 601 saves — most of them for the Padres — is Britain’s bullpen coach this week to honor his mother, Mikki, who was born in England.

His grandfather, Jack Proctor French, played soccer for Southend United FC during the 1920s and early 30s.

“I don’t know a lot about it,” Hoffman told MLB.com, “but I know he was a professional footballer over there. I thought this would be a perfect way to honor my mom.”

Hoffman grew up in Anaheim, Calif., and never lived in England. But the close ties to these relatives makes him eligible to either coach, manage or play on that national team.

His late father, Edward, was a tenor, and was in England after the second World War to act and sing in a play in which Mikki was a ballerina. That’s how the romance was born.

“He courted her over time,” Hoffman said. “He had to go back to the States. He stayed in …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com