Former Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Gil Hodges is among the players who are being considered for the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Golden Days Era Committee.
Hodges spent 12 of his seasons in Brooklyn before playing four more in L.A. During his time with the Dodgers, he batted .274/.360/.488 with 1,884 hits, 361 home runs, 1,254 RBI and 1,088 runs scored.
All eight of Hodges’ All-Star selections came while he was in Brooklyn and he is second in Dodgers franchise history in home runs and RBI. Former Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully recently shared his support for Hodges’ candidacy on Twitter, writing “I pray he’ll get into the Hall of Fame.”
Now, Scully has continued pushing for Hodges to make the Hall of Fame in an essay he wrote that was published to MLB.com:
Over the next 12 seasons, I had the privilege of watching Gil every day as he consistently played a lead role on those Dodgers ballclubs. Whether it was his clutch hitting driving in runs, his defensive prowess at first base, or his quiet, yet effective, leadership on the field and in the clubhouse, Gil stood out as not only one of the game’s finest first basemen but also as a great American and an exemplary human being, someone who many of us were in awe of because of his spiritual strength. I often heard Dodgers players refer to Gil as a “saint.”
Scully continued his essay by praising Hodges for enlisting into the U.S. Marines to serve during World War II where he earned a Bronze Star for his service and that he was a key person in helping the integration of Jackie Robinson into MLB.
Scully wrote Hodges was always there to protect Robinson when he was dealing with racial discrimination and attacks from opposing teams and fans, calling him the “peacekeeper on the field” and saying Hodges’ family always helped the Robinsons when they need it:
I remember Gil patting Jackie on the back as if to say, “Hey, you’re not alone. I’m with you.”
At the end of the essay, Scully points out the Baseball Hall of Fame also uses “integrity, sportsmanship and character” as a criterion for voting, along with their stats, records and awards, so it is only logical for Hodges to be in the Hall of Fame.
How Hodges can be elected
The Golden Days Era committee will vote during the Winter Meetings on Sunday, Dec. 5, and the results will be announced that same day live on MLB Network’s “MLB Tonight” at 3 p.m. PT.
Any candidate who receives votes on 75% of the ballots cast by the 16-member committee will earn election into Baseball Hall of Fame and be inducted in Cooperstown on July 24, 2022.
They will accompany along with any selections who emerge from the 2022 Baseball Writers’ Association of America election, to be announced on Jan. 25, 2022.
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