Gil Hodges denied entry to Hall of Fame

In results that were announced live on the MLB Network, it was revealed Monday that former Mets manager and first baseman Gil Hodges, who rose to prominence as the first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Gil Hodges was not elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The vote was decided by the Golden Era Veterans Committee, whose 16-member panel determined the Hall of Fame fate of Hodges and a number of other players.

Hodges was among the players who received three or fewer votes, while both Tony Oliva and Dick Allen received 11 votes, leaving them one shy of election.

During his playing career, which went from 1947 to 1963, Hodges hit .273 with a .359 on base percentage and .487 slugging percentage to go along with 370 home runs and 1,274 RBI.

Aside from his prowess as a hitter, Hodges was viewed as the best defensive first baseman in baseball during the time he played, and is still viewed as one of the best to have ever played the position.

After his playing career, Hodges managed the Mets and led them to the 1969 World Series title. Hodges passed away prior to the 1972 season.

Thoughts:

Gil Hodges should’ve been elected to the Hall of Fame 21 years ago, when he had enough votes (12) for enshrinement. However, Ted Williams disallowed Roy Campanella‘s vote because Campanella was sick and unable to vote in person, keeping Hodges out.

With Monday’s results, it now appears that Hodges will very likely never get elected to the Hall, and that’s a damn shame.

Hodges’ case has been written about by me here, and was recently written about by Tom Verducci here.

What most see in Hodges is apparently lost on the Golden Era Veterans Committee, and the fact that the Committee gave 11 votes to Tony Oliva while awarding three or less to Hodges is comical.

Oliva, who was a poor defender over the course of his career (13 nearly full seasons), hit .304/.353/.476 with 220 home runs and 947 RBI.

Hodges, who is viewed as one of the best defensive first basemen of all time, hit .273/.359/.487 with 370 home runs and 1,274 RBI over the course of his career (14 nearly full seasons). It should also be noted that Hodges missed two full years of his prime while serving in World War II.

Perhaps Gil will defy the odds and get into the Hall of Fame one day, but that possibility shrinks as each year passes.