What has seemed to be an event every few years, once again Dodger and Mets (Manager) great Gil Hodges is denied election into the National Baseball Hall Of Fame.
On Monday (December 5th) the Golden Era Committee announced that Hodges did not receive the required votes. The Committee votes on players no longer on the ballot who played between 1947 and 1972.
Cubs 3B Ron Santo did finally gain enshrinement by the committee. Santo won 5 Gold Gloves and hit 342 HR's and 1331 RBI for his career.
Hodges won 3 Gold Glove awards, hit 370 HR's, and 1274 RBI. Hodges lifetime batting average was .273 while Santo's was .277.
The Dodger great had more RBI in the 1950's than any other National League player, and was an All Star 8 times.
Santo was an All Star 9 times.
As a member of the Dodgers he was on 2 World Series Championship teams (1955 Brooklyn Dodgers & 1959 Los Angeles Dodgers) and was the skipper of the 1969 Miracle Mets.
Hodges was always well respected by his teammates and well as his players. He was considered a silent giant.
The problem with these committees is that they base Hodges stats on today's game. HR's were not as prevalent in the 1940's through the 1960's as it is today. As for the Gold Gloves, the award didn't exist before 1957, when Hodges won it for 1B. He had been playing for 10 years at that point.
As we all should know by now, I am a card carrying member for the Enshrinement Of Gil Hodges Club. Hopefully before his widow Joan passes on, she will be able to experience the election of her husband to the Hall Of Fame.
...And Rodney Dangerfield felt he got no respect.
Sources: The Brooklyn Paper, Bloomberg, Wikipedia, MLB
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