Gil Hodges Hall of Famer ?? Yes or No ?? and Why you feel this way ??

Question

Gil played for the Dodgers in his best days with the likes of Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, etc.
His career numbers in the major categories are: 2071 Games Played, 1921 Hits, 370 Home Runs, 1274 Runs Batted In, and a .273 lifetime Batting Average. I will forward the results to the Baseball Hall of Fame to see if we (the Fans) can persuede the Voters (Veterns Commitee) to elect Mr. Hodges.

http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/museum/contact.jsp

Answer 1

I think the stats speak for themselves. Anyone who makes that kind of dent in baseball statistics needs recognition. After all, that's what we all work for right? To be remembered!

Definately someone like that who had an honest career without the aid of drugs or steroids (not mentioning any names ehehehehehembondsehem......) and made that much of an impression deserves the real credit.

Answer 2

No -- and worth noting, that the various electorates (BBWAA, old VC, recent VC) have repeatedly said No over the decades. Some people just refuse to hear the message.

Hodges was very good but never achieved greatness; his best seasons were around what I consider the very minimum the Hall should note for big-guy offensive players (face it, no one is ever going to be a defensive superstar at first base; if the glove and footwork were all that, he'd be playing elsewhere). He never led the league in anything, never had that One Big Season. He was just consistently Very Good. That made him a real asset to his teams, but doesn't reach Hall measure. (And were he not a regular on such a storied team -- the 1950s Brooklyn Dodgers, Dem Bums, Da Boys'a Summer -- he would still be remembered, but not with such fond affection.)

Someone has to be The Best Player Not In The Hall, and right now that is Ron Santo, but if he ever gets the long overdue golden ticket he deserves, Hodges will be a most worthy heir to what is admittedly a title of dubious but earnest merit.

Answer 3

I watched Hodges play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. And he is one of the few members of the 1955 Dodgers who is not in the Hall. I also kow how active his widow, Joan, has been with youth baseball in Brooklyn. I had the good fortune to meet her on June 25, 2001 when the Brooklyn Cyclones played the first pro ball game in Brooklyn since 1957. Gil's numbers are good. And he did score the last run ever recorded by the Brooklyn Dodgers. But, compared to other first basemen, the folks who vote entry into the Hall don't think his numbers are that great.