On Dec. 5, 2021, Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers legend Gil Hodges was among the former players elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Golden Days Era Committee.
The Golden Days Era Committee, which considers candidates from 1950-1969, also selected Jim Kaat, Minnie Miñoso and Tony Oliva. Additionally, Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neil were the two selections of the Early Baseball Era Committee, which considers candidates before 1950.
All six men were later honored alongside David Ortiz at the 2022 Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cooperstown.
Both the Golden Days Era and Early Baseball Era candidates were chosen from a 10-person ballot. Candidates were required to receive votes on 75% of the ballots cast by either 16-member committee in order to be enshrined. Hodges met that threshold with 12 votes in his favor.
Hodges played 18 seasons in the Majors, 16 of which came in a Dodgers uniform. From 1944-1945 he donned a military uniform and missed both seasons as a result of military service during World War 2.
He was an eight-time All-Star, including seven consecutive selections from 1949-1955. Hodges also won three Gold Glove Awards and finished as high as seventh in MVP voting during the 1957 season.
After spending 12 seasons in Brooklyn, Hodges was one of the players who made the trip to L.A. during the franchise’s relocation for the 1958 season. He went on to play four more seasons for the Dodgers before returning to New York to finish the last two years of his career, after being selected in the 1961 MLB expansion draft by the Mets.
During his time with the Dodgers, Hodges 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 Game selections came while he was in Brooklyn, and he is second in Dodgers franchise history in home runs and RBI.
Vin Scully supported Gil Hodges for Hall of Fame
Months prior to when the Golden Days Era Committee was set to convene, former Dodgers broadcaster and icon Vin Scully voiced his support for Hodges to finally receive the recognition he deserved.
Hodges was long considered to be one of the most accomplished players to not be in the Hall of Fame.
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