Gil Hodges

[DODGER DEB]

Keep GIL HODGES front and center this year....

From an eBay listing.

c.

[kramer_47]

Gil Hodges

We also have to take into consideration that Gil played in the era of 8 teams. When they expanded first in the american league in 1961 then the national league in 1962 you all of a sudden had 100 players that would have been in triple AAA if not for expansion. Gil won the first 3 gold gloves from 1957-59, if the award existed before 1957 Gil probably would have won from 1950 on. Gil is one of 3 players from 1900 to hit 4 homers in a game and also hit for the cycle the other 2 are Lou Gehrig and Chuck Klein. When Gil retired he was the top right handed hitter of home runs with 370 he was number 10 overall, He led all national league hitters with 14 grand slam homers Hank Aaron finally tied him with 14 in 1972.
Hank was in his 19th season when he tied Gil, Gil did it in 17 years, This shows what a clutch hitter and rbi guy Gil was. Gil batted from 4th through 7th in the Dodgers lineup protecting Duke, Campy, Jackie, and Carl alot of times Gil was being protected by Billy Cox, Sandy Amoros or whoever was batting 6th 7th or 8th. This shows Gil went unprotected quite a bit and still produced 7 100 rbi seasons in a row 1949-55, from 1949-59 he averaged 282 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 rbi. He was the best fielding 1st baseman in the national league, he played on 8 all star teams, he had great sportsmanship he never argued with an umpire and Gil and Pee Wee were the 2 Dodgers recognized as helping Jackie Robinson the most. Here are the rules the voters are suppose to go by when considering a player for the HOF, Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played. Gil had all of these, He was the best 1st baseman of his era, he was the best when it came to integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributing to his team, it's long overdue lets show these members of the oldtimers committee that he belonged in the HOF long ago and lets correct a long time wrong and put Gil in the HOF in 2007.

[johnny]

Could we also say

similar to the gold gloves comment, could we also say that if the manager of the year award existed in 1969 he would have been a top contender -if not the odds on favorite- for that honor?

[kramer_47]

Gil Hodges

Johnny I think Gil has enough as a player, bringing up the manager thing doesn't work they either vote you in as a player or manager not a combination of both. He had 3 good years as a manager with the Mets that isn't enough. I think we have to emphasize what a good player he was and what a big part of all those great Dodgers teams he was.

[johnny]

Well then your going to be slogging uphill. With the arguments presented to date, without looking at the complete package that Mr. Hodges brought to the table it makes it very difficult.
But hey, good luck in your endeavors.

[stan opdyke]

Gil on "What's My Line"

Any of you who remember the tv show "What's My Line" may be interested to know that Gil was a guest on the show. Even better, Gil's appearance has been preserved and is available from at least one person I know of who trades old tv broadcasts. I don't have the recording, but it is good to know that it is available.

Stan from Tacoma

[kramer_47]

How do you get the tape Stan, I saw that show, please let us know your friends address. Just to let you know my cousins name is Opdyke, thank you for the info on Gil.

[stan opdyke]

Gil Hodges on "What's My Line"

How do you get the tape Stan, I saw that show, please let us know your friends address. Just to let you know my cousins name is Opdyke, thank you for the info on Gil.

Kramer47, I have sent you a private message with the info. Anyone else who is interested should send me a private message and I will respond.

[DODGER DEB]

UPDATE:

Just to let you know that I spoke with Joan Hodges last week and she so appreciates anything, and everything, WE can do to help make her dream a reality. She is absolutely amazing.....she has never given up, and continues to believe that GIL will make it into the HOF in 2007.

There are still a few people that I want to discuss this with before laying out some kind of a plan for this year. Hopefully by mid-February I will have more to report, although I must tell you, there simply aren't many options open to US.

What I am doing is assembling a list of names and addresses of all the HOF members that will be voting. WE need to write each of them, and then keep writing them, all through 2006. WE need to educate them about GIL, the great ballplayer and what he brought to OUR great BROOKLYN team, and about GIL the man, whose honesty, integrity and character were ever present and brought so much to this game of BASEBALL that WE all love. Each letter should be "to the point".....WE NEED YOUR VOTE....GIL NEEDS YOUR VOTE! Each letter should be a little different (WE don't want to bore them), but the letters should keep coming from US all year.

I know there are some true BROOKLYN DODGER fans, here and elsewhere, that have some reservations about whether GIL actually belongs in the HOF (I am not one of them). To those I make this point. I ask that you keep in mind that THIS will probably be OUR LAST HURRAH in getting one of OUR OWN into the famed Hall....and that should be an important consideration. I truly believe, on his merit, GIL deserves, and has earned, this honor. Also, if it happens, GIL'S #14 will also be retired, joining OUR others, where it should be.

What WE need are some "creative" ideas here. So, if anyone has any thoughts in this area, please share them. :gt

c.

[kramer_47]

Gil Hodges

Thank you Deb for the hard work you are putting in on getting Gil elected in 2007. I have alot of information I'm putting together, I know we can overcome the 8 or so votes he needs, I'm doing comparisons and looking at as many books and sites i can. The one big stumbling block we'll have is getting through to these hall of famers, they return mail out of hand without even looking at it because they think they are autograph requests. I thought sending them mail through the hall of fame was a good idea but I read this on the HOF page.
FAN SUPPORT: Fans wishing to voice their opinion in support of their favorite candidates may do so in two ways: by sending a single letter to:

Hall of Fame Veterans Committee
Post Office Box 590
Cooperstown, NY 13326

Or by logging on to baseballhalloffame.org and sending an e-mail. The Hall of Fame does not forward petitions to the voting members, but makes all correspondence known to any interested voting members, as well as to the Screening Committee members and Historical Overview Committee members.
We will have to figure out a way to get most of them mail, some do accept at there home address, I'm going to email Bill Madden who is a supporter of Gil maybe he has some suggestions.

[tonypug]

We also need to hear from other fans who support this, for their help. Lets use this thread for support of Gil, not to debate whether or not he belongs. Their are plenty of other threads to debate whether or not he should be elected.

[stan opdyke]

Gil for the Hall of Fame

Thanks Bob for the mailing address for the Vet's Committee. I will be writing to that address to support Gil's induction into Cooperstown.

[kramer_47]

Gil Hodges

You're quite welcome Stan it is nice to have you aboard. I visited your friends site he has a very nice selection of oldtime audio and video. Thank you very much.

[DODGER DEB]

We also need to hear from other fans who support this, for their help. Lets use this thread for support of Gil, not to debate whether or not he belongs. Their are plenty of other threads to debate whether or not he should be elected.

I agree with you 100%, tonyp!

c.

[kramer_47]

Gil Hodges

I found this Sporting News on display at the Ted Williams museum in Florida a few years ago. I called up the Sporting News and they sent me copies of the cover. It is from August 1960 and they had the players on the cover they were considering for player of the decade for the 1950's. Well Gil Hodges is on the cover with 8 others all in the Hall of Fame now, they are Williams, Rizzuto, Mays, Mantle, Robinson, Berra, Banks, Spahn and Hodges. If this isn't an endorsement for Gil for the Hall of Fame by the biggest and best Sports paper ever, all those writers saw him play, what is.