SI article about Gil Hodges & the H.O.F.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2014/11/25/gil-ho ... yn-dodgers

An interesting article. Thanks for posting. But I do not think the author convinced me that he should be in. Some of his arguments were bad and made me less inclined to buy in to his call for Hodges to get in.

Just curious, what about his argument didn't sway you?

Valen, sir, respectfully, I don't think you are getting it... compare Hodges' stats to Tony Perez, then consider Perez could not carry Hodges' glove on his best day and - if strat running ratings are to be believed - was not as good a baserunner either.

then, and I am speaking as a STONE (and used-to-be-stoned) fan of the '69 Cubs he, as manager of the miracle Mets, humiliated, consider his last-to-first-to-winning-the-world-series management of a team w/ Cleon, Agee, a nice but young, pitching staff, but not much more in the batting order.


If Perez is in the hall, Hodges should be too.


I think he suffers from there being 3 other guys from that team being in the hall alreadyand that team as a multi-year group not beating the Yankees in the series often enough, and also losing the Bobby Thomson shot-heard-around-the-world game...

i think PeeWee suffers from that same thing - compare PeeWee to Rizzutto at bbref sometime...

and, since I am talking about who should be in the hall... its time for my usual Shoeless Joe and Cicotte should be in too.


they were banned for life, not eternity, Shoeless stats speak for themselves I think. but also, compare Cicotte to Mordecai Brown (who, as a Cub fan who owns a '1908 World Champions t-shirt, I, of course, revere)


and last, but not least, Rose. yeah, yeah, I know... OK, don't invite him to the ceremony... let Concepcion, Foster, Geronimo, and Griffey Sr. accept the plaque.

but Rose not being in does us, who loved his play (and. as a former bleacher bum, of course I hated him), more of a disservice than it does him...

Well said Patrick Cassidy, Hodges was and still is one of the top 20 firstbasemen of all time and his stats are certainly HOF worthy!

Mike

I used to argue for Hodges extensively "back in the day". I still think he belongs of course, but I guess I just gave up on the cause years ago. Kind of like my marriage.

Growing up in Brooklyn, we played a lot of games the fields that were named after him.

There are schools, bowling lanes, gardens, streets etc... named after him.

I've always thought he should be in the hall. Charlie Hustle as well...

Valen, sir, respectfully, I don't think you are getting it... compare Hodges' stats to Tony Perez, then consider Perez could not carry Hodges' glove on his best day and - if strat running ratings are to be believed - was not as good a baserunner either.

then, and I am speaking as a STONE (and used-to-be-stoned) fan of the '69 Cubs he, as manager of the miracle Mets, humiliated, consider his last-to-first-to-winning-the-world-series management of a team

You make decent arguments. Perhaps you should have written that article.

Just curious, what about his argument didn't sway you?

Pearl Harbor, one of several sites where Hodges later served as a Marine in the Pacific Theatre, where he earned a Bronze Star while putting his fledging major league career on hold

A nice story. I am grateful for his service and his part in my freedoms But these were not baseball activities. So should cound toward whether he should receive and votes bases on his baseball talents.

We are talking about a great American life.

President Kennedy, president Reagon, Bill Gates, Mark Cuban have led great american lives. Non deserve to be in the HOF.

post seven consecutive seasons with at least 23 home runs and 100 runs batted in.

A good though contrived number. Palmeiro hit 38 or more HR in nine straight years? Yet is not making the HOF.
What the heck. Lower the standard a little from 9 years to 7 years and the cutoff as 23 HRs instead of 39,
We can play those games all day.

Finding a quarky state and comparing him to Pujols is devious. Albert had more dominant years during his streak. And still has accomplishments ahead of him.

His Dodgers teams won five pennants in seven years in his prime

He played with a great team. Does not automatically mean HOF. Having great teammates does not qualify you for the HOF.

He became the first player ever to hit four home runs in one game off four pitchers,

You ready to put Josh Hamilton in, or Whiten?

I think half of the guys who are in the HOF shouldn't be there. With 306 inductees, it takes 10 minutes to find Hank Aaron's plaque.
I would drop all of the umpires, managers and executives since 1900. Then consider removing guys like Aparacio, Ashburn and Averill. They were nice players but don't compare to Mays, Ruth and Hornsby.
As center fielders, did Ashburn or Averill do anything as well as Mays?
Fielding-no
Throwing-no
Base running- no
Hitting- be serious.