Gil Hodges

[Snapolit1]

This article (I realize behind a paywell, but worth a subscription) totally depresses me. While Gil Hodges' cold numbers might be a step behind HOF numbers, he stood for everything great about baseball and by all accounts was a tremendous human being. Did a lot for Jackie behind the scenes. If the baseball HOF stands for everything good about the game and the guys who played it, and not just some number crunching bullshit by a bunch of computer geeks, it's a continuing embarrassment that he is not in Cooperstown.

Shouldn't the gold standard be character and what you did for the national pastime, and not WAR?

https://theathletic.com/2952952/2021...-fame-history/

I realize this has been debated many many times. It just sticks in my craw everytime it comes around and I read more about the man.

[commishbob]

Agree completely. I’m still baffled by his excursion from the Hall. It’s time for him and Minoso to get there.

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by commishbob

Agree completely. I’m still baffled by his excursion from the Hall. It’s time for him and Minoso to get there.

+1 Agree hopefully they both get in finally and get the recognition they both truly deserve

[cgjackson222]

It seems like Hodges being Manager of the Miracle Mets should tip the balance in his favor and make him Hall worthy.

I think the issue people have is that he never lead the league in anything except Strikeouts and Sac Flys (and games).

I'd definitely like to see him get in, but the math may not be in his favor. Each member of the committee only gets 4 votes, and they may go for Minoso, Dick Allen, Tony Oliva, and Jim Kaat instead of Hodges.

[ThomasL]

He also played 6man football in High School so that puts him over the hump with me

[Cmvorce]

For the 52 Topps set I'm working on, I keep my HOFers slabbed and put the non-HOFers in the binder. My Gil Hodges is, and (regardless of voting outcome) will remain, slabbed. I think it's insane he isn't in.

[nat]

From the hall of fame's rules on voting:

"Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."

The rules give no instructions on how these are to be weighted, but historically, integrity, sportsmanship, and character have been given almost no weight by the voters. The only notable exception has been the exclusion of steroid users. Excluding Hodges has been (and will be, if he doesn't get voted in) entirely consistent with the standards that are implicit in the hall's history of voting.

The way the ballot is structured also makes electing anyone hard. You're allowed to vote for a max of four, but the ballots usually have a bunch of guys who are all approximately equally qualified, and with a 75% threshold for election, that's an invitation to split the vote and not elect anyone. When one of the era committees does elect someone, it often seems that they had some particular rooting section in the electorate, who can rally votes in their favor, as reportedly happened with LaRussa and Reisendorf in getting Baines elected.

[skelly423]

It's always interesting that character can be used to exclude people, but it never seems to work the other way. Exceptionally high character never seems to push a 50-50 candidate over the top.

[jingram058]

I look at it this way. There are guys in the HOF who probably should not be. And a lot of guys who aren't but should be. At the top of the list who should be, to me, is Gil Hodges. I personally think that the HOF does not matter to most people. But I feel, and have always believed frankly, that Gil Hodges ought to be in. My youngest sister (I am 63, she is 75), who knows something about baseball, told me that Gil Hodges was a household name, as much so as anyone. For him not to be in is ridiculous. I think if he doesn't get in this go around, he never will.

[dealme]

Perhaps instead of Tommy John I should have suggested a candidate like Pete Rose or Joe Jackson for a less polarizing discussion.


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