The old Dodger slugger w0uld have been 84 today, not too unreasonable. But he died at age 48 while at spring trainer with the Mets.
Some believe Hodges should be in the Hall of Fame. I’m not among them. In 18 seasons, he played in more than 140 games 10 times, and only twice hit more than 35 home runs, although he did have seven consecutive 100+ RBI seasons. He finished his career with 370 homers, not-inconsequential number, but to me, his stats just don’t add up to HoF numbers. Sorry if that appears blasphemous to Dodger fans.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to interview Tom Oliphant, author of Praying for Gil Hodges.
And this is what I wrote in review of the book:
In PRAYING FOR GIL HODGES, Thomas Oliphant, the Pulitzer Prize-winning political columnist for the Boston Globe, shares a very poignant and personal perspective about what their long-delayed success meant to him and his parents. From 1947-56, the Dodgers faced the dreaded New York Yankees six times in the Fall Classic, losing to the Bronx Bombers in all but one. Oliphant fondly recalls that special day in that watershed year, when his father gave him an out from attending school to stay home to watch the game on TV. The tears of joy shed between a nine-year-old Oliphant and his parents are touching, especially since his father, a freelance writer, was often in poor health following his return from World War II.
The author recreates the pitch-by-pitch tension of the final showdown, in which Dodger pitcher Johnny Podres shut down the mighty Yankee attack and Sandy Amoros made one of the great catches in World Series history.
Oliphant also touches on the deeper meaning of the team for Brooklyn, a conglomeration of races often at odds with each other, but brought together for a few moments of shared pride. Sadly, the Dodgers were on the verge of abandoning the city for the sunny shores of the West Coast, an event that still rankles some older fans to this day.
The Amazon Report on Gil Hodges:
Gil Hodges: Baseball Miracle Man
The Game of Baseball,
is available on Amazon.com,
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