THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE QUIET LEGEND

Gil Hodges’ baseball career began during the World War II era.  A product of Branch Rickey’s innovative “farm system”, Rickey sought out to build the Dodgers of tomorrow. In the summer of ’43, Dodger scouts discovered the nineteen-year-old shortstop at a tryout camp.  The Dodger manager, Leo Durocher, was impressed with how the young shortstop belted baseballs during practice.  Soon after, Gil Hodges would begin a love affair with the borough of Brooklyn and the Dodgers.

The legacy of Gilbert Ray Hodge began in a small town in Indiana.  The younger of two sons, Gil was determined not to end up working in the coalmines of Princeton as did his father, Charlie Hodge.  His father echoed those same sentiments and encouraged his son to play baseball.  Gil recalled how his father had suffered numerous injuries working as a miner, which eventually let to his death.

Gil’s playing career with the Dodgers began late in 1943 as a third baseman.  He would play only one game, going 0-2 with two strikeouts and a walk.  Soon after that season, Gil was recruited by the Marines and would take a three-year hiatus from baseball.

After serving nearly two and a half years, Gil would return to the Dodgers’ minor league team in Newport News for a year before joining the major league club.  In 1947, Gil started out on the Brooklyn team as the third string catcher.  With the emergence of Roy Campanella as the star catcher, Dodger manager Leo Durocher shifted first baseman Jackie Robinson to second and inserted Hodges in his place.  Little did anyone know Durocher had comprised an infield that featured two future Hall of Famers.  With Robinson and Pee Wee Reese up the middle, and Billy Cox with Gil Hodges at the corners, the Brooklyn Dodger infield would be set for the next decade, waging heated rivalries with both the Giants and the Yankees.

With the Brooklyn Dodgers, Gil established himself as an eight-time All-Star.  As a hitter, Hodges was dubbed a dead-pull hitter who always had an eye on the inside pitch.  During a seven-year stretch, (1949-1955) Gil knocked in over 100 RBI’s and, over eleven years, hit 20 or more home runs.  He held the national league’s career record of 14 grand slams, which has only been broken by two players Will McCovey (18) and Hank Aaron (16), both in the Hall of Fame.

As a first baseman, Gil won the Gold Glove three times (1957-1959). At six foot two, he possessed large hands and was constantly teased by teammates who said that he only wore a glove because it was fashionable.  Fans swore that Gil never had his foot on the bag for his putouts, a testament for his quick footwork.

However, it was the Brooklyn Dodger fans that would cement Gil’s legacy.  During the 1952 World Series, Hodges went 0 for 21 with 5 walks.  It was a batting slump that would carry over to the next season.  By the middle of May he was batting .187 and, as a result, manager Charlie Dressen benched him.  It was at this low point that the Dodger fans rose to Gil’s defense.  In a city where New York sports legends such as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Duke Snider all at one point in their careers had the hometown fans against them, Gil Hodges was spared.  Instead, Dodger fans rallied behind Hodges in a show of support.

Support came in the form of letters offering advice, rosary beads, and rabbit’s feet.  One letter in particular had suggested that drinking carrot juice, which contained Vitamin A, would restore his eyesight.

The “save Hodges crusade” was also found in local churches, one of which ended up in the newspaper.  When a local priest ended his mass, he encouraged churchgoers “Go home, keep the Commandments, and say a prayer for Gil Hodges”.

It was very easy to see why Brooklyn Dodger fans loved Gil.  In 1948, Joan Lombardi, a Brooklynite would marry Gil, and together they would call Flatbush their home for good.  Talking to a reporter, he professed that Brooklyn was his hometown, and was proud to say so.  

Unfortunately, Gil Hodges didn't own the team, Walter O'Malley did.  Two years after winning a world championship, the Dodgers left Brooklyn for Los Angeles.  That marked the last time that Gil or any other Dodger would ever play professional baseball in the borough of Brooklyn.

It took four years for National League Baseball to return to New York.  On October 10, 1961 an expansion draft took place for the newly born Houston Colt 45's (Astros) and the New York Mets.  The Mets selected Roger Craig, Don Zimmer, Gus Bell, and Gil Hodges.  Gil hit the Mets' first ever homerun.  After starting the 1963 season with the Mets, Gil was traded to the Washington Senators.  He opted to retire rather than play for the struggling Senators.

Officially ending his playing career with the Mets, Gil embarked on a second career as a manager by taking over for the team he refused to play for--the Washington Senators.  Although the Senators managed to steadily improve over his five year tenure, the best Washington did was finish in sixth place with a .472 winning percentage.

On October 11, 1967, the Senators traded their skipper back to the Mets.  In exchange, they received pitcher Bill Denehy and a reported cash payout between $100,000 to $150,000.

Beginning the 1968 season as the Mets skipper, Gil's club would finish in 9th place.  For Gil, it marked the sixth straight season finishing under .500 in his managerial career.  On September 24, Gil, while pitching batting practice, suffered a mild heart attack.  Fortunately, he was allowed to return to managerial duties the following season, during which, the fortunes for Gil and his Mets would soon turn around.  

1969 would serve as a ground-breaking year in Major League Baseball.  With the start of divisional play and baseball's first international game, the Mets would lose to the Montreal Expos on April 8.  Appearing to repeat last year's finish by August 13, the Mets would fall 9 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs.  The Mets would win 38 of their next 49 games.  On September 10, Gil's Mets took over 1st place.  Two weeks later, the Mets clinched the first ever National League East title.  Capping off what came to be known as the "Miracle Mets", Gil's club swept the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship.

The World Series featured a match up between the Mets and the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles.  Few gave the Mets any chance of winning, but Gil's club shocked the baseball world by defeating the Orioles in five games.

The following year brought disappointment for the World Champion New York Mets as they would finish in 3rd place.  In 1971 Gil's Mets duplicated their 3rd place finish with the exact record of 83-73.

On April 2, 1972, Gil Hodges suffered his second heart attack, this time proving to be fatal.  Two days shy of his 48th birthday, Gilbert Ray Hodge died in West Palm Beach, Florida.  On the eve of the 1972 season, the Mets, clearly stunned by Hodges' death, named Yogi Berra as their manager.  On April 15, Gil Hodges' number 14 is retired, along side Casey Stengel's number 37.  They were the only two Mets to have their numbers retired (1972).  Gil would be the first Met to actually play for them to have his number retired.

 

The journey of a 19 year old shortstop, harvested from an innovative farm system, began in Brooklyn, traveled to Los Angeles, stopped in Washington D.C. and returned home to New York to carve his name in history as the manager of The Miracle Mets.  Gil Hodges, a coal miner's son, brought his quiet strength and integrity to baseball, but left it way too soon.  Gil's leadership qualities were shown by actions, not words.  He never argued over an umpire's call and he rarely showed other players up.  Baseball players of today could learn a valuable lesson from Gil Hodges:  That the game of baseball should be played with both integrity and sportsmanship.