24
2011
1969 Mets Discuss Gil Hodges’ Hall Of Fame Chances
An article by 
As we all know, Gil Hodges will be on the Veterans’ Committee Hall of Fame ballot for 2012. So expect to hear plenty of discussion over the next few months about whether or not he should be enshrined.
I personally was not around when Gil played or managed, but I consider myself lucky to have heard the great stories of the Brooklyn Dodgers and the 1969 Miracle Mets. I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Joan Hodges recently, who said she hopes this is the year for Gil—even though she believes he should have been inducted a long time ago.
In addition, to speaking with Mrs. Hodges, I caught up with a few members of the 1969 Mets and asked their thoughts on if they think Gil will be elected this time around. The players only had great things to say about their former manager.
“I hope it’s the year,” said ’69 Mets shortstop Buddy Harrelson. “He was a very special man, not just as a ballplayer in Brooklyn but a very special man in the community.”
While his on-field achievements speak for themselves, Gil left just as significant an impact as a manager.
“I think Gil certainly deserves to be in the Hall of Fame,” said original Met Ed Kranepool. “We would have won more pennants under Gil Hodges.”
Hodges died from a heart attack in spring training 1972—right at the peak of his managerial career when the Mets were a feared team in the National League. Still, the players agree that Hodges got them to play much better than they should have.
Hopefully, the word continues to spread about what Hodges meant to the game of baseball.
“I know a lot of people have been working hard to help in that regard,” said ’69 Mets platoon right fielder Art Shamsky. “I think he’s certainly deserving of it, not only as a player and manager, but he was such a great person and ambassador for the game.”
Shamsky noted that Hodges was the main reason the Mets went from being the laughing stock of professional baseball to World Champions just eight years after coming into existence.
Being on the Veterans’ Committee ballot may work in Hodges’ favor for next year’s voting.
“These are people that might have recognized Gil or played against him, know what he’s done, and can vote the way it’s supposed to be voted,” said Kranepool. “There are guys in the Hall of Fame that don’t have his credentials.”
Harrelson likened Hodges to his own father in that both were rugged on the outside but were great men on the inside who deeply cared for their families.
“I loved him as a person and as a manager,” said Harrelson, who also looks forward to someday heading to Cooperstown for Gil’s induction ceremony.
Whether that’s this year or in the near future, I’ll likely be joining Buddy in paying homage to a great baseball player, a great manager and an even better man.
About the Author: Jim Mancari
Jim Mancari hails from Massapequa, N.Y. He recently earned a Master's degree in Journalism at Hofstra University. He is a devout Mets fan and takes pride in his team, despite their lack of success over the last few years. Like all Mets fans, Jim has plenty of hope. He also writes as the sports reporter for the Brooklyn Tablet newspaper and the senior editor of metroBASEBALL Magazine. Click my name to view my personal website.
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It’s interesting when Kranepool said they would have won more pennants under Gil. What is more apparent to me is that they never would have won in ’69 if it hadn’t been for Gil Hodges. I can’t say it enough, so I’ll simply repeat what I wrote in the comment thread when Jim did his interview with Mrs. Hodges back on Sept 15th. Pardon me if you’ve read it before.
“Amen Jim. What a great piece! Gil was such an amazing individual. His stats alone are worthy of election into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Especially taking into account the era in which he played. 20 HR’s were a lot in those days. Not to mention Gil’s fielding ability, and leadership both as a player and a manager. If not for Gil Hodges, there would have been no Miracle of ’69. The players of that ’69 team would not have achieved the things they did playing for Gil that magical year. No championship, no 25-7 record for Seaver, and considering how instrumental that season was for Seaver’s growth as a pitcher, who’s to say he would have been as successful as he was in his career without Gil’s early influence? Same for Koos, Ryan and McGraw. Cleon Jones might not have pulled his head out of his butt in order to make a run at the batting title. And Tommie Agee, God bless him, would never have soared to the heights of a modern-day superman if not for Gil Hodges. Gil Hodges changed Major League Baseball. He put an indelible mark on baseball that will live forever. The fact that he has not yet been voted into the HOF is a travesty and an injustice and it needs to be righted. Let’s go Veteran’s Committee, you’ve already waited decades too long, time to wake up.”
GH without a doubt was the best manager this team has ever had!
Better than Johnson, Better than Valentine, Better than them all!
My favortie story about him (as told by Tom Seaver) was:
Late in the game up by one, Seaver faces a big bat with no outs and decides to walk him intentionally putting the tying run on base. A Big No No!
Hodges walks out to the mound to replace Seaver, Seaver says I’m fine let me finish! Hodges looks pissed but goes back to the Dugout without saying a word.
Seaver strikes out the side.
Later Seaver goes to the Hodges office and says what you didn’t agree with that decision?
Hodges says well if I knew you were going to strike out the side after it I wouldn’t have come out there!
AS SOMEONE OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE ACTUALLY WITNESSED GIL’S EFFECT FIRSTHAND, HAVING ATTENDED MY VERY FIRST “LIVE” GAME @ EBBETS(AGE 5,6?) YET TOO YOUNG TO ACTUALLY RECOLLECT ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF, AS A ROMAN CATHOLIC CHILD GROWING UP IN BAY RIDGE, I DISTINCTLY RECOLLECT OUR PASTOR, BISHOP REILLY, PRESIDING OVER EVERY 9:00AM SUNDAY “CHILDREN’S MASS CENTERING NEARLY EVERY HOMILY AROUND “THE BUMS”; OFTE3N HEARING HIS PLEA FOR OUR YOUTHFUL UNNOCENT PRAYERS FROR GIL TO ‘SNAP OUT OF IT’ OR JACKIE, DUKE OR PEEWEE.
MY MOM, WAS AN ARDENT ‘BOYS’ FAN, AS A SINGLE YOUNG MOTHER(DIVORCE); SHE ‘BORROWED’ PRAYERFULLY & SOMEWHAT NAIVELY TO MAIL ONE OF HER FEW SPAREABLE DOLLARS TO THE “KEEP THE DODGERS IN BROOKLYN FUND”. TO MOM, THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO PLAYER ON THE FACE OF GOD’S GREEN EARTH TO COMPARE WITH GIL & HIS MAGICAL GRACE @ 1B. TO HEAR MY MOM, TELL IT GIL EXEMPLIFIED THE JOHN WAYNE IMAGE; BEFORE A JOHN WAYNE IMAGE HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED!
LASTLY, IN MY ‘RARELY’ HUMBLE OPINION THE MISSING PLAQUE BEARING GIL’S IMAGE IS A TREVESTY IN COOPERSTOWN. I CAN EASILY ENVISION THE HALL GETTING COMPROMISED BY A FORCE WITH GIL IN THE VANGUARD ALONG WITH MATTINGLY & HERNANDEZ COBVERING HIS FLANKS. THAT’S ONE DAMNED HILL “THE MARINE” CERTAINLY SHOULD PREVAIL IN TOPPLING!
FEW CREDIT GIL WITH THE EMERGENCE OF HIS OWN “NEIGHBORHOOD EDITION” COVERING 1B MAKING A SCIENCE OUT OF THE STEALTHY BALL RECEPTION IN THE WEBBING AFTER THE OUT CALL ECHOES HAVE DIED. A FACTOR HIS PEERS SHOULD RECOGNIZE INDISTINGUISHABLE OUT OF THE #s BEING BEAN COUNTED’ BY THE PREVIOUS VOTERS.
Gil was my childhood hero when I was a Dodger fan in the 50′s and as a Mets fan from day 1. It is a travesty that he is not yet in the HOF. I hope that Seaver does a lot of campaigning for him and influences the decision of the Veterans’ Committee. Gil exemplifies everything that the HOF is all about with excellence as a player both offensively and defensively, as a manager, as a leader, as a member of the community, and as a perfect role model. There isn’t a better candidate in all of BB. So what is taking so long? This needs to be done and is way overdue. Let’s get this done while Joan is at least still alive.
MASK, AS IF THERE COULD BE ANY DOUBTING THE VERACITY OF OUR POSITION, TYHE SIMPLE FACT THAT U & I ARE STANDING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER ON THIS IS PROOF ENOUGH & BTW, IT’S A CONDEMNATION, IMO, OF “MONEYBALL/SABREMETRICS RULE” THINKING. AS IT’S ONLY IN THE OFFENSIVE POWER STATS FOR 1B THAT GIL HAS BEEN THWARTED BY THESE UPSTART VOTERS WITH PEACHFUZZ ON THEIR CHEEKS.