Dead of the Day: Gil Hodges, April 4, 1924—April 2, 1972

Today’s Dead of the Day is Gil Hodges, Dodger great and the man who managed the New York Mets to their first world championship in 1969. The eight-time All Star was a fearsome power hitter (smacking 370 home runs)  and a slick-fielding first baseman—with three Gold Gloves to his credit—for the post-war Brooklyn Dodger teams that were immortalized as “The  Boys of Summer.” He followed the team to Los Angeles, contributing to Los Angeles’ World Championship in 1959, but returned to New York when he was drafted by the Mets in the 1961 expansion draft.Traded to the Washington Senators in 1963, he announced his retirement, and immediately became the Senator’s manager. The Senators —”First In War, First in Peace, Last in the American League”—were as woeful a team as could be imagined. While Hodges was no Shoeless Joe, the team improved every year under his stewardship, even if they never achieved a winning record.  This was perfect training for his next job: manager of the Mets.

When Hodges arrived,  the lovably hapless “Amazin’ Mets” of Casey Stengel were receding into the rear-view mirror. Taking the helm of a team with scads of talented young players—Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Nolan Ryan, Cleon Jones, for starters—he surprised even the team’s staunchest fans by leading  the “Miracle Mets” to the World Championship in 1969. 

Hodges—a long-time chain smoker—died from a heart attack suffered after playing a round of golf on a day off from Spring Training. Tributes from his Dodger teammates were quick to arrive and effusive; Duke Snider called him a “great player, but even a greater man.”

All this begs one question: why isn’t Hodges in the Baseball Hall of Fame? Even if you (wrongly) believe that a lifetime batting average of .273 with 1,271 runs batted in doesn’t merit his enshrinement, his turning the Mets into not only contenders, but champions is enough to get a plaque in Cooperstown. His number 14 was retired by the Mets in 1973, and elected to their Hall of Fame in 1982, and  has been honored with streets, bridges and bowling alley named for him in Brooklyn, but baseball’s ultimate honor eludes him.

Also taking their last swings today are Esther Morris, the first woman to serve as a judge in the US (1902), French President Georges Pompidou (1974), Pope John Paul II (1985), and  … .- — ..- . .-.. / — — .-. … . –..– / – …. . / -.-. .-. . .- – — .-. / — ..-. / — — .-. … . / -.-. — -.. . –..– / -.. .. . -.. / – — -.. .- -.– / .. -. / .—- —.. –… ..— .-.-.-

Steven Mirkin

Steven Mirkin’s diverse career has taken him from politics to pop culture to high art, offering him a front row seat to some of the most fascinating events and personalities of our time: writing speeches, fundraising appeals and campaign materials for Ed Koch, John Heinz and independent presidential candidate John B. Anderson; chronicling the punk/new wave scenes in New York and London; interviewing musicians such as Elton John, John Lydon and Buck Owens; profiling modern masters Julian Schnabel, Paul Schrader and Jonathan Safran Foer; and writing for TV shows including 21, The Chamber, Let's Make A Deal, and Rock Star: INXS.