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American baseball player and manager (1924–1972)

Gilbert Raymond Hodges (born Hodge; April 4, 1924 – April 2, 1972) was an American first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played most of his 18 year career for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers. An eight time All Star, he anchored the infield for the Dodgers through six pennant winners and two World Series titles before leading the New York Mets to their first World Series title in One of the most beloved and admired players in major league history, Hodges was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022, fifty years after his sudden death. Born in Princeton, Indiana, Hodges was the son of a coal miner. He grew up in Petersburg, Indiana where he was a four sport athlete in high school, before attending Saint Joseph's College where he played baseball and basketball. He dropped out to sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers, making his debut at age 19 before being joining the United States Marine Corps during World War II, receiving the Bronze Star Medal after serving in combat as an anti aircraft gunner during in the battles of Tinian and Okinawa in the Pacific theatre. After being discharged, Hodges returned to the Dodgers' organization, making his way back to the majors in
During his time with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Hodges was a core member of the "Boys of Summer", along with Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, and Pee Wee Reese. He was widely regarded as the major leagues' outstanding first baseman in the 1950s, with Snider being the only player to have more home runs or runs batted in during the decade. Hodges held the National League (NL) record for career home runs by a right handed hitter from 1960 to 1963, with his final total of 370 briefly ranking tenth in major league history; he held the NL record for career grand slams from 1957 to 1974. A sterling defensive player, Hodges won the first three Gold Glove Awards for his position and led the NL in double plays four times and in putouts, assists and fielding percentage three times each. He ranked second in NL history with 1,281 assists and 1,614 double plays when his career ended, and was among the league's career leaders in games (6th, 1,908) and total chances (10th, 16,751) at first base. After retiring as a player during the 1963 season, Hodges became the manager of the expansion Washington Senators. He did not have a winning season there, although the team did improve upon their win total each year during Hodges' 5 year tenure. Before the 1968 season, the New York Mets hired Hodges as manager. The following season, in what is considered one of the greatest championship runs in sports history, he led the team to their first winning season and World Series title. A heavy smoker, Hodges died suddenly from a heart attack at age 47, during spring training in 1972. The Mets retired his number 14 the following season; 49 years later, during the 2022 season, the Dodgers, Hodges' long time team, followed suit after his election to the Hall of Fame.

Hodges was born Gilbert Raymond Hodge on April 4, 1924, in Princeton, Indiana, the son of Charles P. Hodge, a coal miner, and his wife Irene (née Horstmeyer). He had an older brother, Robert, and a younger sister, Marjorie. At some point, prior to 1930, the family name was changed from 'Hodge' to 'Hodges'. When Hodges was seven, the family moved to nearby Petersburg. He was a star four sport athlete at Petersburg High School, earning a combined seven varsity letters in football, baseball, basketball and track. Hodges declined a contract offer from the Detroit Tigers, instead attending Saint Joseph's College with the hope of eventually becoming a collegiate coach. Hodges spent two years at St Joseph's, competing in baseball and basketball. He dropped out after his sophomore year, accepting a contract from Stanley Feezle, a sporting goods storeowner and part time scout, to sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers. A few days later, he entered the United States Marine Corps to serve in World War II.

Hodges entered the United States Marine Corps during World War II after having participated in its Reserve Officers' Training Corps program at Saint Joseph's. He served in combat as an anti aircraft gunner in the 16th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion, participating in the battles of Tinian and Okinawa, and received a Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" for heroism under fire. Following the war, Hodges also spent time completing course work at Oakland City University, near his hometown, playing basketball for the Mighty Oaks, joining the 1947–48 team after four games (1–3 record); they finished at 9–10. One of his teammates, Bob Lochmueller, would go on to star at the University of Louisville and play in the NBA. After being discharged from the Marine Corps in 1946, Hodges returned to the Dodgers organization as a catcher with the Newport News Dodgers of the Piedmont League, batting .278 in 129 games as they won the league championship; his teammates included first baseman and future film and television star Chuck Connors.

Hodges was called up to Brooklyn in 1947, the same year that Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier. He played as a catcher, joining the team's nucleus of Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Carl Furillo. With the emergence of Roy Campanella behind the plate, manager Leo Durocher shifted Hodges to first base. Hodges' only appearance in the 1947 World Series against the New York Yankees was as a pinch hitter for pitcher Rex Barney in Game Seven, but he struck out. As a rookie in , he batted .249 with 11 home runs and 70 runs batted in. On August 31, 1950, against the Boston Braves, Hodges joined Lou Gehrig as only the second player since 1900 to hit four home runs in a game without the benefit of extra innings; he hit them against four different pitchers, with the first coming off Warren Spahn. He also had seventeen total bases in the game, tied for third most in Major League history. That year he also led the league in fielding (.994) and set an NL record with 159 double plays, breaking Frank McCormick's mark of 153 with the 1939 Cincinnati Reds He finished 1950 third in the league in both homers (32) and runs batted in (113), and came in eighth in the Most Valuable Player voting. That year, Hodges broke his own record for most double plays with 171, a record which stood until Donn Clendenon had 182 for the 1966 Pittsburgh Pirates; he also led the NL with 126 assists, and was second in home runs, third in runs (118) and total bases (307), fifth in slugging percentage (.527), and sixth in runs batted in (103). Hodges was also involved in a blown call in Game 5. Johnny Sain was batting for the Yankees in the 10th inning of Game 5 and grounded out, as ruled by first base umpire Art Passarella. The photograph of the play, however, shows Sain stepping on first base while Hodges, also with a foot on the bag, is reaching for the ball that is about a foot shy of entering his glove. Baseball commissioner Ford Frick, an ex newspaperman himself, refused to defend Passarella. When Hodges' slump continued into the 1953 season, fans reacted with countless letters and good luck gifts. One Brooklyn priest, Father Herbert Redmond of St. Francis Roman Catholic Church, told his flock: "It's too hot for a sermon today. Go home, keep the commandments, and say a prayer for Gil Hodges." Hodges began hitting again soon afterward, and rarely struggled again in the World Series. Teammate Carl Erskine, who described himself as a good Baptist, kidded him by saying, "Gil, you just about made a believer out of me." Hodges ended 1953 with a .302 batting average, finishing fifth in the NL in runs batted in (122) and sixth in home runs (31). Against the Yankees in the 1953 Series, Hodges hit .364; he had three hits, including a homer in the 9–5 Game 1 loss. In 1954, under their new manager Walter Alston, Hodges set the team home run record with 42, hitting a career high .304 and again leading the NL in putouts (1,381) and assists (132). He also set a still standing record with 19 sacrifice flies. He was second in the league to Ted Kluszewski in home runs and runs batted in (130), fifth in total bases (335), and sixth in slugging (.579) and runs (106), and placed tenth in the Most Valuable Player vote. Facing the Yankees in the World Series for the fifth time, he was 1 for 12 in the first three games before coming around. In Game 4, Hodges hit a two run homer in the fourth inning to put Brooklyn ahead, 4–3, and later had a single that drove in a run as they held off the Yankees, 8–5; he also scored the first run in the Dodgers' 5–3 win in Game 5. In Game 7, he drove in Campanella with two out in the fourth inning for a 1–0 lead and added a sacrifice fly to score Reese with one out in the sixth inning. In 1956, Hodges recorded 32 home runs and 87 runs batted in. Brooklyn won the pennant again, and once more met the Yankees in the World Series but ended up losing in seven games. In the third inning of Game 1, he hit a three run homer to put Brooklyn ahead, 5–2, as they went on to a 6–3 win; he had three hits and four runs batted in during the 13–8 slugfest in Game 2, scoring to give the Dodgers a 7–6 lead in the third and doubling in two runs each in the fourth and fifth innings for an 11–7 lead. In Don Larsen's perfect game Hodges struck out, flied to center, and lined to third base, as Brooklyn went on to lose in seven games. In 1957 Hodges set the NL record for career grand slams, breaking the mark of 12 shared by Rogers Hornsby and Ralph Kiner; his final total of 14 was tied by Hank Aaron and Willie McCovey in 1972, and broken by Aaron in 1974. He finished seventh in the NL with a .299 batting average and fifth with 98 runs batted in, and leading the league with 1,317 putouts. He was also among the NL's top ten players in home runs (27), hits (173), runs (94), triples (7), slugging (.511) and total bases (296); in late September, he drove in the last Dodgers run at Ebbets Field, and the last run in Brooklyn history. Hodges was named to his last All Star team and placed seventh in the Most Valuable Player balloting, the highest position in his career. In 1960, Hodges broke Ralph Kiner's NL record for right handed hitters of 351 career home runs, and appeared on the TV program Home Run Derby. In his last season with the Dodgers in 1961, he became the team's career runs batted in leader with 1,254, passing Zack Wheat; Snider moved ahead of him the following year. Hodges received the first three Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, from 1957 to 1959. During spring training 1961, Hodges gave what was one of his biggest contributions to the Dodgers. He had been appointed acting manager for a B squad game, against the Minnesota Twins in Orlando, Florida, by Walter Alston. Upon discovering that one of their pitchers, Ed Palmquist, had missed the flight, Hodges told that day's starter, Sandy Koufax that he would have to pitch seven innings instead of the previously planned five. The game ended up becoming a turning point in Koufax's career; after struggling with his control to start the game, he ended up pitching seven no hit innings; Koufax went on to have a strong spring training and a breakthrough season in Hodges himself was unable to manage the game, however, since he had been beaned during batting practice.

After being chosen in the 1961 MLB Expansion Draft, Hodges was one of the original 1962 Mets and despite knee problems was persuaded to continue his playing career in New York, hitting the first home run in franchise history. By the end of the year, in which he played only 54 games, he ranked tenth in MLB history with 370 home runs – second to only Jimmie Foxx among right handed hitters. He also held the National League (NL) record for career home runs by a right handed hitter from 1960 to 1963, and held the NL record for career grand slams from 1957 to 1974. Hodges managed the Senators through 1967, and while they never achieved a winning record during his time as manager, the Senators improved on their record from the previous seasons, peaking with a 76 85 record in 1967. When New York Mets manager Wes Westrum resigned as manager in September 1967, the Mets sought out Hodges as his replacement. Although he had one year left on his contract with the Senators, Hodges decided to take up the Mets' offer as he considered it more convenient; he still had financial interests in Brooklyn and his family and home was there. Hodges was also popular in New York and, hence, a natural fit for the Mets. Senators GM George Selkirk obliged after the Mets paid them $100,000 and sent pitcher Bill Denehy over as compensation. Hodges then signed a three year, $150,000 contract with the New York Mets.

When Hodges took over as manager of the Mets, the team had yet to finish with a winning season. At the 1968 All Star break, the Mets were just four games below .500. However, they could not maintain the pace and subsequently lost 46 of their remaining 80 games. While the team only posted a 73–89 record, finishing 9th in the National League, it was nonetheless the best mark in their seven years of existence up to that point.

In 1969, Hodges led the New York Mets to their first winning season and the National League East title. They swept the Atlanta Braves in the inaugural, best of five National League Championship Series. They then went on to beat the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles in the World Series in five games. After losing Game 1, the team came back for four straight victories, including two by 2–1 scores. Finishing higher than ninth place for the first time, the Mets became not only the first expansion team to win a World Series, but also the first team to win the Fall Classic after finishing at least 15 games under .500 the previous year. Hodges was named The Sporting News Manager of the Year for 1969. During Game 5, in the bottom of the sixth, Orioles pitcher Dave McNally bounced a pitch that appeared to have hit Mets left fielder Cleon Jones on the foot, then bounced into the Mets' dugout. McNally and the Orioles argued that the ball hit the dirt and not Jones, but Hodges showed the ball to home plate umpire Lou DiMuro, who found a spot of shoe polish on the ball and awarded Jones first base. McNally subsequently gave up a two run home run to Mets first baseman Donn Clendenon to cut the Orioles lead to 3–2. The Mets eventually won the game and the series, 5 3. The controversial decision has gone down in baseball lore as the "shoe polish" incident and it highlighted Hodges' reputation for fair play as he had never been thrown out a game for arguing, a fact which likely led to DiMuro ruling in favor of the Mets. In 1971, they finished tied at third with the Cubs in the NL East rankings, behind Pirates (eventual World Series champions) and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Team Year Regular season PostseasonGamesWonLostWin %Finish Won Lost Win % ResultWSA196312142790.347 10th in AL – – – WSA1964162621000.383 9th in AL – – – WSA196516270920.432 8th in AL – – – WSA196615971880.447 8th in AL – – – WSA196716176850.472 6th in AL – – – WSA total 768 321 444 – – – NYM196816373890.451 9th in NL – – – NYM1969162100620.617 1st in NL East 7 1 0.875 Won World Series (BAL)NYM197016283790.512 3rd in NL East – – – NYM197116283790.512 3rd in the NL East – – – NYM total 648 339 309 7 1 0.875 Total 1,414 660 753 7 1 0.875

In 1948, Hodges married Joan Lombardi (September 27, 1926 – September 17, 2022), a native of Brooklyn. The couple had four children together: Gilbert Jr., Irene, Cynthia, and Barbara.

On the afternoon of April 2, 1972, Easter Sunday, Hodges was playing golf in West Palm Beach, Florida because the exhibition game between the Mets and the Montreal Expos was cancelled due to the first players' strike. He completed 27 holes of golf with Mets coaches Joe Pignatano, Rube Walker, and Eddie Yost, when he collapsed en route to his motel room at the Ramada Inn across the street from Municipal Stadium, then the spring training facility of the Atlanta Braves and Expos. Hodges had suffered a heart attack and was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital where he died within 20 minutes of arrival. Pignatano later recalled Hodges falling backwards and hitting his head on the sidewalk with a "sickening knock", bleeding profusely and turning blue. Robinson died of a heart attack six months later on October 24 at age 53. Duke Snider said "Gil was a great player, but an even greater man." "I'm sick," said Johnny Podres, "I've never known a finer man." A crushed Carl Erskine said "Gil's death is like a bolt out of the blue." Don Drysdale, who himself died in Montreal of a heart attack in 1993 at age 56, wrote in his autobiography that Hodges' death "absolutely shattered me. I just flew apart. I didn't leave my apartment in Texas for three days. I didn't want to see anybody. I couldn't get myself to go to the funeral. It was like I'd lost a part of my family." According to Gil Hodges Jr., Howard Cosell, one of the many attendees at the wake, brought him into the back seat of a car, where Jackie Robinson had been crying hysterically. Robinson then held Hodges Jr. and said, "Next to my son's death, this is the worst day of my life." The wake was held at Torregrossa Funeral Home, on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. Approximately 600 people attended the church service inside, while thousands of mourners attended outside. Yogi Berra, the Mets' first base coach, succeeded him as manager on the day of the funeral. The American flag flew at half staff on Opening Day at Shea Stadium, while the Mets wore black armbands on their left arms during the entire 1972 season in honor of Hodges.

In 1969, Hodges received the Bronze Medallion, New York City's highest civilian honor from Mayor John Lindsay. On June 9, 1973, one year after his death, the Mets retired Hodges' uniform number 14. On April 4, 1978, what would have been Hodges' 54th birthday, the Marine Parkway Bridge, which connected Marine Park, Brooklyn to Rockaway, Queens, was renamed the Marine Parkway–Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge in his memory. In Indiana, the high school baseball stadium in his birthplace of Princeton, Indiana is named after Hodges. A bridge spanning the East Fork of the White River in northern Pike County on State Road 57 was renamed the Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge. In addition, a Little League baseball team in his hometown of Petersburg was named the Hodges Dodgers, in his honor. In 2009, a mural was dedicated in Petersburg featuring pictures of Hodges as a Brooklyn Dodger, as manager of the New York Mets, and batting at Ebbets Field. Hodges became an inaugural member of the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979. He was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1982. In 2007, Hodges was inducted into the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame. In 2000, Hodges was featured in the documentary Gil Hodges: The Quiet Man, based on the book of the same name by author Marino Amoruso. In November 2021, a 30 minute documentary, titled The Gil Hodges Story: Soul Of A Champion, was released. The film featured interviews with Vin Scully, Tommy Lasorda, Carl Erskine, Gil Hodges Jr., and members of the 1969 New York Mets.

For decades, there was controversy over Hodges not being selected for induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. receiving 24.1% of ballots cast by BBWAA electors, with 75% the threshold for election. He was considered annually through the 1983 ballot, his 15th and final ballot appearance under BBWAA rules at the time. He appeared on 63.4% of ballots in 1983 voting, the highest percentage of his candidacy. Hodges collected 3,010 votes cast by the BBWAA from 1969 to 1983, the most votes for an unselected player until surpassed by Jim Rice in 2008, prior to Rice's election the following year.

Hodges was considered for selection by the Hall of Fame's Veterans Committee starting in 1987. Voting by the committee was held in closed sessions for many years, but results are known for Hodges in voting (61%), (65%), (61%), and (43.8%). Each time, Hodges fell short of the 75% minimum required for election.

In 2011, Hodges became a Golden Era candidate (1947–1972 era) for consideration to be elected to the Hall of Fame by the Golden Era Committee, which replaced the Veterans Committee in 2010. In December 2011, voting by the committee took place during the Hall of Fame's two day winter meeting in Dallas, Texas. Induction to the Hall requires at least 12 votes (75%) from the 16 member committee. Of 10 candidates, Ron Santo was the only one elected, having received 15 votes; Jim Kaat had 10 votes, and Hodges and Minnie Miñoso were tied with nine votes. Hodges' next opportunity under the Golden Era Committee was in December 2014, when the committee voted at the MLB winter meeting. Hodges received only three votes, and none of the other eight player candidates on the ballot were elected to the Hall of Fame, including Dick Allen and Tony Oliva, who each fell one vote shy of the 12 vote threshold. In July 2016, the Golden Era Committee was succeeded by a new system of four committees, including the Golden Days committee (1950–1969 era). Hodges was one of 10 nominees named on November 5, 2021 to the Golden Days Era ballot for Hall of Fame consideration. On December 5, the Hall of Fame announced Hodges' election, having received 12 of 16 votes to meet the 75% threshold. Hodges was formally inducted on July 24, 2022, with his daughter Irene delivering a speech on his behalf.