It has been dubbed "The Hoffman Influence."

The label is all-encompassing, and just about anything positive you've ever heard about Trevor Hoffman falls under the category.

One could talk about how the majority of the Milwaukee Brewers relief pitchers eat together whether at home or on the road or how, in the dugout or bullpen, each reliever leans over the railing or fence to show support for the next pitcher taking the ball. Or even the way relievers playfully interact with each other in the clubhouse.

All of that is The Hoffman Influence.

"The bullpen is a family unto itself," last season's set-up man, Todd Coffey, said. "There are seven of us away from everybody. We're in our little dungeon, our area. Wherever we are, it's us.

"With Trevor, it's tremendous to have him bring everybody together. He's the dad of the family."

The Brewers' 42-year-old closer might take that "dad" title reluctantly, but he knows where he fits in and how important he was to the close-knit bond the bullpen guys shared last season.

After all, Hoffman was the one who gathered the relievers for pregame stretching and workouts every day once the season started. About five hours before the first pitch, Hoffman and the rest could be seen down the right-field line at Miller Park preparing for what the night could bring.

He also treated some of the relievers to a Metrodome visit after the baseball season to watch the Minnesota Vikings host a Monday night game against the Green Bay Packers.

But the nice-guy routine is far from an act. It's the real deal, and those around him feel the sincerity, making Hoffman's words and actions more influential.

"He's not fake like that," bullpen coach Stan Kyles said. "His delivery is outstanding. He's a leader in every sense of the word. He's the captain down there. He's very genuine about what he presents and what he's trying to get across."

For Hoffman, it's just part of his role.

As a veteran he took it upon himself to inject advice carefully where and when he felt it was needed. And the others listened intently to the future Hall of Famer.

"I was fortunate to be around a lot of young guys that were receptive to seeing what had worked for somebody else and how they can apply it to their routines," Hoffman said.

"We're a group of guys that enjoys each other's company but also enjoys working. We have the philosophy of helping one another out and passing the ball through the lineup."

Because of the closeness of the group, Claudio Vargas, who came in later in the season and was unfamiliar with bullpen life, was allowed to nestle in smoothly and became a productive acquisition.

"(Hoffman) helped me a lot because it was my first time being full time in the bullpen," Vargas said. "He's open to us asking him things. It means so much to have a guy like that on your team."

Particularly for a guy like Coffey, who latched onto Hoffman almost from the start and stayed in contact with him through the winter. He was at just about every workout, meal and meeting with Hoffman during the season and soaked in any knowledge the closer was willing to spill.

Coffey gives Hoffman a good portion of the credit for what ended up being the best big-league season of his career - 78 games, 2.90 earned-run average, 83 2/3 innings, 65 strikeouts, 21 walks, 1.159 WHIP.

"He's one of the better things to ever happen to me," Coffey said. "As far as learning from him, he'll help anybody and never talk about how good he is. That's a sign of a true professional.

"We all feed off each other. I like to think he fed off me and I definitely fed off him whenever he came into the game and I heard 'Hell's Bells.' You don't want to be out there in a situation where he's looking at a save and then you blow it an inning before."

Coffey will have to fight to be the set-up man again this season after the Brewers added 15-year veteran LaTroy Hawkins to the mix. Other than him, left-handers Scott Schoeneweis and Chuck Lofgren are other new faces with a chance to make a bullpen that at times wore down and finished with 544 innings pitched, third most in the National League last year.

The ease with which Hoffman fit into the Brewers' clubhouse after 16 seasons with the San Diego Padres was a huge help. He called the Brewers a perfect storm of young players on the rise willing to listen and open to advice - count lefty Mitch Stetter among them as he was one of Hoffman's yearlong students - as well as an organization filled with good-character guys.

That was especially important because Hoffman was virtually invisible during his first spring training thanks to his own preparation routine and an oblique injury that had him in the trainer's room most of the time, including at the start of the season.

Once he got going, Hoffman was dominant. He saved 37 games, had a 1.83 earned-run average and was an NL all-star, leading to the Brewers signing him to a one-year, $7.5 million deal with a 2011 club option.

But his influence on the other relievers from preparation to performance was immeasurable.

"Being able to be part of a group like that, there's an accountability factor that some teams don't necessarily see," Hoffman said. "I think that's important. . . . You're a team within a team.

"That's nice to have, but the bottom line is you have to go out and do your job and do what's expected of you. That's what's really nice."