Gil Hodges Stats

Gil Hodges Rookie Card | 1949 Bowman Baseball Card (#100 | Checklist)
Baseball Almanac Research Library

Did you know that Gil Hodges was the second (the first was Lou Gehrig, on June 3, 1932) first baseman in Major League history to hit four home runs in a game? On August 31, 1950, The Miracle Worker went deep in the second inning off Warren Spahn, the third inning off Normie Roy, the sixth inning off Bob Hall and finally the eighth inning off Johnny Antonelli?

1 - Gil Hodges managed the Washington Senators from 1963 through 1967 and the New York Mets from 1968 through 1971. Hodges won Sporting News Manager of the Year Award one time, won a Division title one time, won the National League pennant one time, and a World Series ring one time - with the 1969 New York Mets (The Miracle Mets).

3 - Gil Hodges won three Gold Gloves at first base, all consecutively (1957 through 1959). Hodges was a fine fielding first baseman who also led the National League in putouts three times (1949, 1954, 1957), defensive games played at first base four times (1949, 1951, 1954, 1956) , assists three times (1951, 1952, 1954), double plays turned at first four times (1949, 1950, 1951, 1958), and fielding percentage three times (1949, 1950, 1959).

8 - Gil Hodges appeared in eight All-Star Games, seven consecutive (1949 through 1955), and once in 1957.

9 - Gil Hodges never won a Most Valuable Player Award, but he did receive MVP votes / consideration on nine different seasons.

14 - Gil Hodges had his number fourteen (#14) retired by New York Mets. On Saturday, April 15, 1972, the Mets made the announcement and Hodges was the second number to be retired, the first was #37, belonging to Casey Stengel.

17 - Gil Hodges held the National League record for grand slams hit during a career in the senior circuit from 1957 through 1974, seventeen years.

47 - Gil Hodges, on April 2, 1972, had just finished playing a round of golf in West Palm Beach, Florida with his Mets coaches; Joe Pignatano, Rube Walker & Eddie Yost. The forty-seven year old suffered a sudden heart attack on his way back to the hotel, fell to the sidewalk, and hit his head on the sidewalk. Countless shocked individuals commented about this unexpected death, but Don Drysdale summed it up when he said Hodges death, "absolutely shattered me. I just flew apart. I didn't leave my apartment in Texas for three days. I didn't want to see anybody. I couldn't get myself to the funeral. It was like I'd lost a part of my family."

Gil Hodges | National Baseball Hall of Fame Plaque | Class of 2022 (HOF)

63.4 - Gil Hodges appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot from 1969 through 1983 and during his final year of eligibility (1983), he received 63.4% of the votes — not enough to enshrine him in the hall. Thirty eight years later, he was finally sent to Cooperstown by the Golden Days Committee.

Gil Hodges & Duke Snider Collage | Original Images by Topps, Inc.
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