SHOULD GIL HODGES BE IN THE HALL OF FAME?

Since 1972, the year that he passed on especially, there has been a raging argument that Gil Hodges should be in the Hall of Fame. The idea that a man who was a leader on and off the field, slugger, great fielder, hit for average, was a force to be reckoned with, and a gentle giant is not in the Hall makes the Hall incomplete.

“If you had a son, it would be a great thing to have him grow up to be just like Gil Hodges.”
-- Pee Wee Reese

How do you deny: ·

Hitting at least 30 home runs a season for five consecutive years from 1950 to 1954

Over 100 RBIs during the 1949 to 1955 seasons

Played in seven World Series, six with Brooklyn and one with Los Angeles

Inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1982

A career consisting of:

2,071 games played
7,030 at bats
1,921 hits
1,105 runs scored
295 doubles
48 triples
370 home run
1,274 RBIs

A home run percentage of 5.3 percent

A career batting average of .273

A career slugging average of .487

And more RBIs during the 1950s than any other player at 1001?

Gil was near the top in every category there was, year after year. The weak argument goes that he never led in any category, yet if you were to take his production away the Brooklyn Dodgers were NOT so formidable during those years, both on an offensive and defensive basis.

Having had to switch and master a position Hodges was considered one of the greatest first basemen ever!  Originally a catcher, Gil was switched to 1^st base by his manager to make room for a great Hall of Famer catcher in Roy Campanella.

“Gil Hodges is a Hall of Fame man.”
-- Roy Companella

Another argument goes that he hit only .273-life time, but he hit with power, hitting 370 home runs and 4 in one game against 4 different pitchers, all in 9 innings!He also hit 14 Grand Slam Home Runs! Is that not in the clutch?

After his playing days, Hodges went on to manage the Washington Senators, perennial last place finishers, who Hodges managed up to 6^th place, before committing to the New York Mets, another perennial loser. Hodges amassed some talent that seemed to mess well and turn the franchise from loveable losers into a self respecting World Champions known as the ‘Miracle Mets’. To Hodges there were only two kinds of managers: winning managers and ex-managers!

If you look at the record, look at what he accomplished and knowing that the fans of Brooklyn, Los Angeles and New York all loved him as a player, manager and human being, then he has all the qualities that belong in the Hall, and more than some of the players and managers who are in there now!

“The thing that most people hear about that one is that a priest [Father Herbert Redmond of St. Francis Roman Catholic Church] stood in a Brooklyn pulpit that Sunday and said, "It's too hot for a sermon. Just go home and say a prayer for Gil Hodges." Well, I know that I'll never forget that, but also I won't forget the hundreds of people who sent me letters, telegrams, and postcards during that World Series. There wasn't a single nasty message. Everybody tried to say something nice. It had a tremendous effect on my morale, if not my batting average. Remember that in 1952, the Dodgers had never won a World Series. A couple of base hits by me in the right spot might have changed all that.”
-- Gil Hodges, on his 1952 season slump from his book, The Game of Baseball

Do you think he should be in the hall?

That’s all I wrote, folks!