Mets icon Gil Hodges finally immortalized in Cooperstown
Irene Hodges, daughter of Hall of Fame inductee Gil Hodges, touches the likeness of her father on his plaque held by Josh Rawitch, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Sunday, July 24, 2022, in Cooperstown, N.Y. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Credit: AP/John Minchillo
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Irene Hodges had just finished telling some great stories at the podium about her late father, Gil — illustrating the upstanding character of the man finally being inducted into baseball heaven, the Hall of Fame.
Near the end of her poignant speech at Clark Sports Center, she wanted to say something to him.
“And to my dad, I love you so much and I miss you every day,” she said. “I know you are smiling from heaven now with our sister Barbara, who we miss unbelievably. And without a doubt, I know you’re celebrating with Tom and the Boys of Summer.”
Gil Hodges struck out 34 times on ballots dating to 1969. The great first baseman for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers and stern manager of the Miracle Mets of 1969 never quite got enough votes from the baseball writers and various veterans committees. But the Golden Days Era Committee finally elected him in December.
Hodges officially joined the immortal names in the game Sunday, 50 years after his death from a heart attack at the age of 47. A few of his former Mets players attended, as did Tom Seaver’s daughter Sarah. Hodges’ widow, Joan, watched from her home in Brooklyn.
“Today I am especially happy for my mother,” Irene said. “When the call came from the Hall of Fame, I heard, ‘This is Jane Forbes Clark and it is my honor . . . ’ I began sobbing probably as much as I did when I lost my father. I was so beyond happy for him and thrilled that my mom at 95 would be able to hear this news.”
Hodges hit 370 homers and won three Gold Gloves. The eight-time All-Star won two World Series titles in 16 seasons with the Dodgers before closing his playing days with the Mets in 1962 and 1963.
One of his Brooklyn teammates was the man who broke the color barrier, Jackie Robinson. They became very close, and so did their families. Their kids would play at each other’s houses, and Hodges gave Robinson his full support through the tough times.
Take the game in 1947 against the Phillies in which Robinson was being constantly heckled from the other dugout. Hodges, the former Marine, had enough.
“He put down his glove,” Irene said. “He went to the top step of the dugout and said, ‘If anyone else has anything to say, let them come out here right now and we will settle it.’ Needless to say, nobody came out and no one said another word.
“On the day of my father’s funeral, Jackie cried uncontrollably, saying, ‘Next to my son’s death, this was the worst day of my life.’ ”
