It has been reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers will retire Gil Hodges’ No. 14 on June 4. Hodges played for the Dodgers during their World Championship seasons in 1955 and 1959. The team will hold a ceremony to honor him before the game against the New York Mets.
Hodges will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame in New York on July 24. He will be the 61st member of the organization to be enshrined as a player, coach, scout, or executive.
Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said Hodges’s Hall of Fame induction would be a great honor for the organization and its players. Kasten praised Hodges as one of the greatest players in the history of the team.
“When you mention all-time greats in Dodger history, Gil Hodges is among the finest to ever don Dodger blue,” said Stan Kasten. “We are thrilled that he will finally take his place in Cooperstown alongside the games greats and look forward to honoring him.”
Retiring No. 14
Hodges No. 14 will be among the many jersey numbers that the team retires. The team has so far retired Pee Wee Reese’s No. 1, Tommy Lasorda’s No. 2, Duke Snider, Jim Gilliam’s No. 19, Walter Alston’s No. 24, Sandy Koufax’s No. 32, Roy Campanella’s No 39, Jackie Robinson’s No. 42, and Don Drysdale’s No. 53.
During his 18 years in the Major League, which ended in 1963, Hodges played for the Dodgers and the Mets. He hit a .273 and over 300 home runs. The eight-time All-Star also had over 1,400 hits and over a thousand runs scored.
Hodges made seven consecutive All-Star appearances from 1949 to 1955. His eighth All-Star season was during the 1957 season. He was also a Gold Glove award winner during that period.
Hodges is widely considered one of the best players in the history of the Dodgers. He holds the team’s record for most games played at first base (1,851). He also has the third-highest total of extra-base hits and walks in team history.
Career full of achievement
The three-time Gold Glove Award winner passed away on April 2, 1972, while he was in his fifth season as the manager of the New York Mets. During his time with the organization, he guided the team to its first World Series title in 1969.
During his playing days, Hodges had the opportunity to experience different types of playoff games. He played on five other World Championship teams during his career with the Dodgers. He was also part of the Brooklyn Boys of Summer teams.
After the team moved to the West Coast, Hodges helped the team win its second World Series title in 1959. In the 1959 Fall Classic, he hit .391 with a home run in Game 4 against the Chicago White Sox. The three-time World Series champion also had eight runs on a .304 batting average in the 1956 World Series. In the 1953 Series, he had a .364 batting average and drove in two runs in the team’s win over the Yankees.
As a member of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, he will become the eighth member of the organization to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He will join Campanella, Koufax, and Lasorda.
