[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by dclarkraiders

8 All Star Games

Won the first 3 Gold Gloves for his position. He would have won many more but Gold Gloves were not awarded until 1957.

14 career grand slams.

From 1949 - 1959, he averaged 30 home runs and 101 runs batted in per season.

In his era, he was the only player to drive in over 100 runs in 7 straight seasons.

He lost approximately 4 seasons to military service during WW II which likely delayed his career as an everyday player since he did not become an everyday player until 1949. He turned 25 years old just before the season in 1949. If he would not have served our country in WW II, his career would have likely started several years sooner which would have helped his overall career numbers.

More career homers than Mize, DiMaggio, Berra and Kiner.

Also, won a World Series as a player and manager.

By now you have probably figured out who I am talking about.

I am a great Gil Hodges fan so I am biased in my opinion but, Gil belongs in the Hall of Fame.

I think Hodges belongs in the Hall of Fame, too, but bringing up he has more home runs than these guys? That doesn't help your argument.

Hodges should have more home runs than Kiner. He played 600 more games. He played 335 more games than DiMaggio, and had only 9 more home runs. How many home run titles did he win? Zero. Kiner led the league in home runs each of his first seven seasons, and I believe in six of those, he also led the Majors. DiMaggio led the league twice playing in monstrous Yankee Stadium. Mize won four home run titles, and would have won more, had he not missed three years in his prime. Hodges missed a couple years, too, but he was 20 and 21. Big difference. Berra he hit more home runs, and he should, as Berra was a catcher. Berra just won three MVP Awards. Hodges, for all those home runs, never managed a top five MVP vote. He ended up 7th once, and 8th another.

The mark against Hodges is that he never led the league...in anything important, and never finished in the top five of the MVP. Meanwhile, Campanella won three MVPs. Robinson won one. Duke Snider, in three years, was an MVP runner up, finished third and fourth in the MVP the two other years. These three guys were all considered bigger stars than Hodges. That's not to say that Hodges wasn't one of the most important players on that Dodgers team that dominated their league for a good long while. He was. That's why he will eventually get in.