Vote Gil Hodges Baseball Hall Fame Dodgers

2009-10-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

As you read this, please realize Gil Hodges is already a member of the Marine Corp.'s Sports Hall of Fame class of 2007 WHY NOT THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME?
http://www.usmc-mccs.org/sports/hof/2007-hodges.cfm

Gil Hodges

Brooklyn Dodgers Team Leader

Gil Hodges

New York Mets Team Leader Manager

Gil Hodges: The Quiet Man
was recommended by the Baseball Hall of Fame library.

Gil Hodges :The Quiet Man
by Marino Amoruso

The following research using quotes from Gil Hodges teammates was taken from this book and the page numbers are listed.

Gil Hodges: The Quiet Man, this book has comments made by actual teammates of Gil Hodges including Hall of Famers Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, and Duke Snider. The book was written in 1991. Jackie had passed already, but in 1997 Rachael wrote a book called Jackie Robinson :An Intimate Portrait. Jackie said to Rachel,“In his own quiet way, Gil was a mainstay of the team; a slugger, an outstanding fielder, a man of strong character. Jack counted on him.” Rachel Robinson (author) Jackie Robinson An Intimate Portrait (P.118)

Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, and Duke Snider all say Gil Hodges is a Hall of Famer. If the Hall of Famers don't listen to them, who should they listen to? Jackie Robinson counted on Gil in one of the most trying times in American and Baseball History. What might Baseball/American history been like without Gil Hodges?

From book Gil Hodges :Quiet Man and Page #...

Carl Erskine (P. 135)
Leaders...Pee wee, Jackie and of course Gil
Gil was quiet and private person, but everybody looked up to him because of his dedication and his strength and character.
Never showed emotion. Never saw it on the outside.
Best at 1st ever saw. Great footing and range. Good hands.
Made difficult plays look easy.
Stabilizing and calming presence in the infield.
Great at reading strategies and stealing signs.
If pitcher was in a tough situation, Gil would comeover and say a few words and it really made you calm down and concentrate. He had a real knack for that.
I feel that someday he’ll make the Hall of Fame. (p.44)
When you take into consideration the setting, the time, the contributions he made, and then you add in the managing which none of the others had, I think he deserves to make it. HOF (P.44)
He went on to become one of the best-fielding first basemen the game has ever known. He had great footwork and it enabled him to come off the bag a fraction of a second sooner than he probably should have. And Gil had great hands. Anything he could get to you can be sure he grabbed. (P. 32)

Clem Labine (P. 137)
Great strength
Great physical strength
People really liked and respected him by being such a strong, quiet man
He demanded respect just by his presence.
Consistant....same whether winning or loosing
Real stabiling force on the team, especially when you consider the colorful characters we had on that club.
Although he was consistently excellent in the field, Gil was a streaky hitter, either very hot or very cold. But his offense never affected his defense. (P.32)

Pee Wee Reese (P.138)
He became a leader.
Everybody had a great deal of respect for him.
Having Gil as a first baseman all those years was a great thing for a shortstop. If I threw the ball in the dirt, he’d save me.
He had great hands.
Great competitor.
With Gil, you never knew whether he was hitting .500 or had not hit in 10 games. He was always the same.
Knowing what a great player he was and what a great guy he was, I think Gil belongs in the Hall of Fame. (P.44)
He was the best defensively at firstbase. He had those big hands and he could just scoop anything up. If I had to go in the hole to get a ball and I threw the ball in the dirt, Gill would just dig it out with those big hands and he could just scoop anything up. Gil would just dig it out with those big hands and save me. You always knew that Gil was going to come up with the ball and it made you more relaxed and at ease out there. (P.32)
Gil’s hands were huge but “soft” as ballplayers term a good pair of hands. (P.32)

Roy Campanella (P.140)
He was never booed anyplace. They knew what kind of man he was, so they never booed him.
He was a leader of our team.
Everybody respected Gil and Looked up to him.
Gil, of course, went on to become the best first baseman in the league. In fact , he was the best first baseman I ever saw.
He was just a great human being whom everybody respected. Everybody liked Gil Hodges.
Gil Hodges was a Hall of Fame man all the way. He belongs there. It’s tough to get in, but he belongs there (P.141)

Preacher Roe (P.141)
That’s the kind of man he was, the kind of guy you would want to be like.
Gil was so consistant.
Whatever Gil did he was always the same. I think that’s part of the reason why he was never booed.
He was always consistant.
He never showed dislike for anybody, not even the umpires, so why would anybody dislike him? Everybody just respected him.
Gil was great at first base. When you were pitching it was good to know he was out there. Not just because of his defense, but because of his knowledge, too. He really knew baseball and could always tell what the other team was going to do. He was a real help to a pitcher. Also, in a tight situation he would come to the mound and calm you down. Just knowing he was out there behind you made you feel better. Now, that is the kind of thing you don’t see in the record book, but there were a lot of things Gil did like that.

Carl Furillo (P.142)
He was a big Leaguer in every way; in the way he was on and off the field, in the way he dealt with other people.
Respected.
Always the same (consistant)
Leader
Led by example
He was a man you could always count on.
Gil made everything look easy at first base. He was so smooth that even the hard plays looked easy when Gil made them. In all my years in baseball, I never saw a better first baseman than Gil. (P.32)

Duke Snider (P.143)
Great student of the game.
He taught himself how to perform in key situations.
Tremendous leader
Led by example
Steady person and great teammate
We all had a lot of respect for him
Ex Marine and learned in Marines Corp about adapting himself to any situation (Helped during their Jackie Robinson challenges).
He studied the game so thoroughly and was such a student of the game that there was no question in my mind he would make a good manager(Mets).
Gil is a Hall of Famer. (P.44)
We used to marvel at the way Gil could play defense. Any throw that went over to first base you knew Gil was going to come up with. He was so steady that if he didn’t come up with a throw it made you wonder if he wasn’t feeling well that day. (P.32)

Don Drysdale (P.144)
Big Brother, Second father
He taught me everything I know about being a big leaguer.
Probably the best 1st baseman I ever saw.
The man was so loved and respected.

Frank Howard (P. 146) Teammate & Played for Gil
When you talk about a sense of respect, of decency, of honor and fairness; when you talk about class and style, you’re talking about Gil Hodges.
He taught you how to be a big leaguer.
He was a real leader.
He led by example.
He took me under his wing.
Gil Hodges is a HOFer plain and simple.
To me best manager
Gil had a real good sense of humor and a keen insight into people. (P.34)

Let's not forget...Gil and the rest of the Brooklyn Dodgers had tremendous pressure on them, not like the pressure players of 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's or today had/have like family, appliances, house, but tremendous social pressure. They still had to win and cope in spite of the tremendous pressure going on around them and to them.

(From Gil Hodges book) And it was in Brooklyn, with the Dodgers, that a black man played in the major leagues for the first time. It changed forever the course of baseball history, and more importantly, the course of American history. Its effects were felt throughout every strata of American society. It is ironic yet in many ways fitting that one of the first and most important steps taken in 20th century America for equality and justice, and against the poisons of racism, prejudice and segregation, was not taken in the White House or in the hallowed halls of Congress, but on a ball field in Brooklyn by a great and courageous American named Jackie Robinson. The triumph of Robinson and his Dodger teammates was a victory for us all. (P. 46)

“We were all part of history being made, but we really didn’t realize it at the time,” says Clem Labine. “There was Jackie, of course, and all the other men on that team. It was definitely a unique and colorful collection of personalities. And that club had a lot of character; it had to when you consider the pressure we were under and we still won pennants. But at the time we were just going out there trying to win ballgames and not really realizing the kind of impact we were having.” (P.47)

Mets Information

Gil Hodges: The Quiet Man by Marino Amoroso
The page number listed is from this book and can be referenced.

Frank Howard (P. 146) Teammate & Played for Gil Hodges When you talk about a sense of respect, of decency, of honor and fairness; when you talk about class and style, you’re talking about Gil Hodges.He taught you how to be a big leaguer.He was a real leader.He led by example.He took me under his wing.Gil Hodges is a Hall of Famer plain and simple.To me best managerGil had a real good sense of humor and a keen insight into people. (P.34)

Jerry Koosman (P.149) Gil’s PlayersTo me best manager I’ve ever seen because he had the talent of knowing not just your physical capabilities, but your mental capabilities as well.When he saw a situation arise that he knew certain players couldn’t handle, either mentally or physically, he got them out of there. He instilled a lot of confidence in us, and pride too.Respected him.Taught us to be big leaguers.

Bud Harrelson (P. 150)He could figure people out and knew how to talk to them.He was very subtle, very low key. If you did something wrong, he didn’t scream. “why did you do that!” Instead he’d ask you very calmly, why did you try to steal home with two outs?” He was trying to make me think a little bit. Finally Gil asked, ‘Who was hitting?” I said, “Boswell” He said, “Boswell has had a hot bat lately; you should have given him a chance to win the game.” He wanted to make a specific point and when he made it he’d say, “Good, that’s right; see you tomorrow and have a good night.” That was his style. The most important thing was he wanted to make you think, to use your head.You see, all along he would talk to me, he would coach me, thinking-wise and professional-wise, and by doing subtle things, and by talking to me and getting into my head, he made me a better ballplayer.I was good defensively and I was a pesky little hitter, but Gil took it father than that. He taught me a lot. He taught me to look for that fire in players.Gil really made a difference in my life. He made me a better player and a better person. He was like a father to me.

Jerry Grote (P.152)I wasn’t set as a ballplayer or a person until Gil Hodges came along. He settled me down and encouraged me to think.Gil stressed fundamentals. Basic fundamentals. He always wanted you thinking out there.I don’t think any of us realized at the time the kind of effect Gil was having on us as men. But as you get older you realize things, and I know he made me a better individual in a lot of ways. He had an impact on everybody he touched. He got a lot of respect and he didn’t have to work for it because everybody knew what kind of man he was. He was a great baseball man, and a great human being.

Tom Seaver (P. 154)There’s no way to measure the difference he (Gil) made. I have to tip my hat to Gil Hodges. He worked as hard in a manager’s way as any of us. When we won he was proud.It isn’t taking anything away from anybody to say that Gil Hodges will have a lot to do with anything accomplished in the future by the fellows who played for him. He was a leader who impressed on us the need for excellence.

Don Clendenon (P. 155)Gil was a very strong individual. I think you can rank him as one of the best managers ever. One of the things I liked about Gil was that he would listen. He was always fair about things.One of the things I admired about Gil was the way he handled the kids. See, when you take young minds and make them believe that if they work hard and get in good condition they can’t lose, it’s amazing what they can do. Gil did that. He was a strong leader and he never waivered. He always believed we could win, and he made us believers too, especially the young players. Because of Gil these kids thought they were great ballplayers.We were a good team, no question. We had some raw talent, we had great pitching, good defense, and we played smart heads-up baseball, but it was Gil Hodges who molded those young guys into champions.

Cleon Jones (P.156)Gil Hodges was the best manager I ever played for. He had the ability to read into an individual and get out what he didn’t know he had. Normally, players make the manager; in this case the manager made the players.There were times when I really didn’tunderstand why Gil did the things he did. But now I look back and I realize what Gil was trying to teach us, not only as ballplayers, but as people. I think everybody who played for Gil will carry the lessons he taught them through their lives. If he had lived, he probably would have been the greatest manager who ever lived.

Al Weis (P.157)Gil gave me confidence in myself.I think that this was one of the big things he did for his players; he built up their confidence. Gil Hodges was a very patriotic and dedicated person.

Don Cardwell (P.158)I always had great respect for Gil even when I was playing against him, and then later I played for him. He was head and sholders above any other manager I ever played for. He was always looking ahead two or three innings; he knew what was coming up. Inever played for another manager who was so into the game, who thought that far ahead.He was a father figure to all the younger guys on the club.

Art Shamsky (P.159)Very quiet, but a very, very strong man both emotionally and physically.He was the strong, silent type and everybody who played for him, I think, respected him.

Tommie Agee (P.159)Gil Hodges is a great manager.He had a big impact on my life and I miss him.

Ed Charles (P.160)I publicly praised Gil Hodges for his managerial abilities, as well as for the type of man he was. I think one of his greatest assets was his ability to motivate players. Gil is one of the all-time greats at getting the best out of his players. I think one of the greatest impressions he made on me was when he started the platoon system in New York in 1968.He stuck to his plans, not the media’s plans, not the players’ plans, but his. And pretty soon we started winning.Gil was a fair man. Everybody on the team was equal. No exceptions. But he handled each player differently depending on his personality. He was a master at it. He could read people and he knew what made them tick. The players had total confidence in him.The lessons he taught his players went beyond the baseball field. He taught them lessons in life. How to conduct yourself as a gentleman, as a big leaguer. How to be a better person. There were just so many things Gil taught all of us.(P33)

The most legendary example of Gil’s peacemaking took place at Ebbetts Field in the summer of 1957. The Dodgers were playing the Braves, and the Braves’ Johnny Logan started a fist fight with Brooklyn hurler Don Drysdale. Soon after Logan and Drysdale tangles, Braves third baseman, Eddie Mathews, jumped on Drysdale’s back and began swinging at him. The three tumbled to the ground as the other players on the field joined in. At this point, Gil calmly walked over to the tangle of players on the mound, reached in, and grabbing Mathews by the foot, dragged him across the infield to the Braves’ dugout. “Here” said Gil to the startled Braves, “where shall I deposit him?”What is not so well known is that Gil Hodges drove in both runs in the Bums’ 2-1 victory with a single and a sacrifice fly. (P. 38)

He was a devoted family man and the people of Brooklyn looked upon him not only as a sports hero, but as a friend and a neighbor too. They admired his strong, quiet demeanor, his gentlemanly ways, his upstanding character and his devotion to family, friends, and his religion. More than any other Dodger player, Gil Hodges was Brooklyn’s own. And Gil reciprocated by giving his time unselfishly to the community, especially the children . Over the years he appeared at hundreds of benefits and affairs for children and never accepted a fee for his time. (P.39-40)Gil also gave much of his time to the Gil Hodges Little League. In the mid-Fifties the South Highway Little League was renamed in Gil’s honor. (P.40)“Anybody that knew Gil loved and respected him,” says Sid Loberfeld (Gil’s attorney). “And if you didn’t know him personally but you followed him, you came to love him. (P.41)

It states in the rules for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame for the candidates “shall be chosen on basis of playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, their contribution to the team or teams which they played and to baseball in general. (P.44)

Let's Remember...And it was in Brooklyn, with the Dodgers, that a black man played in the major leagues for the first time. It changed forever the course of baseball history, and more importantly, the course of American history. Its effects were felt throughout every strata of American society. It is ironic yet in many ways fitting that one of the first and most important steps taken in 20th century America for equality and justice, and against the poisons of racism, prejudice and segregation, was not taken in the White House or in the hallowed halls of Congress, but on a ball field in Brooklyn by a great and courageous American named Jackie Robinson. The triumph of Robinson and his Dodger teammates was a victory for us all. (P. 46)

“In his own quiet way, Gil was a mainstay of the team; a slugger, an outstanding fielder, a man of strong character. Jack counted on him.” Rachel Robinson (author) Jackie Robinson An Intimate Portrait (P.118)

“We were all part of history being made, but we really didn’t realize it at the time,” says Clem Labine. “There was Jackie, of course, and all the other men on that team. It was definitely a unique and colorful collection of personalities. And that club had a lot of character; it had to when you consider the pressure we were under and we still won pennants. But at the time we were just going out there trying to win ballgames and not really realizing the kind of impact we were having.” (P.47)

Jeff Idelson, president of the Baseball Hall of Fame, said the Hall is a Historical Museum. Who can be better to represent the History of baseball and the USA than a man Jackie Robinson counted on during his USA historical time and a member of the Marine Corp's 2007 Sports Hall of Famer?
In recent times after the steroid era, character is looked at more closely than ever as told by Tim Kurkjian (ESPN) from current Hall of Famers.
Gil Hodges is beloved and known as a man of great character by anyone who knew him as stated above.

Refer anyone this information to get Gil Hodges into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

More information directly from the Hall of Fame...In Dodgers franchise history, Gil Hodges is second in both home runs and RBIs, trailing only Hall of Famer Duke Snider. (National Baseball Library)

Please write letters to the Baseball Hall of Famers to endorse Gil Hodges to:

(Name of Hall of Famer) C/O Baseball Hall of Fame 25 Main StreetCooperstown, NY 13326

We have to let them know for Gil's sake.

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