GIL HODGES

If Ernie Lombardi could hold eight baseballs in one hand, then Gil Hodges probably could have held eight balls and Ernie in one of his! This guy was 6-foot-2 of sinew, whose hands were so large they couldn't find a catcher's mitt to fit them early on when the Dodgers tapped him to be a catching prospect. How much cowhide did it take to make Gil a glove? Probably the better half of a Holstein bull. Stories abound of Hodges' strength. As a manager, his cool, green-eyed look made players flinch and umpire keep their masks on during a discussion.

In 1952, the World Series was tough for the "Princeton Powerhouse." Gil couldn't get a base hit and the Catholic churches in Brooklyn had prayer vigils around the clock for divine indulgence. Candles were lit. Gil found no solace in R and R - that's Reynolds and Raschi, plus Lopat and Sain. They shut out the big guy, all seven games! He was 0-for-21!

He came back in the '53 series to hit a sizzling .364. In '55, when the Bums won their first and only World Series title for Brooklyn, the big guy hit .292 with five big RBI. Hodges was a smooth fielder, as a lifetime .992 average would attest.

Strong? The Dodgers had a 6-foot-6 rookie first baseman in '51 by the name of Dee Fondy, who one day was hassling Pee Wee Reese in spring training. Well, quiet man Gil came over and picked up Fondy by the nape of the shirt collar and seat of his pants and deposited him 10 feet away! While Gil didn't have the bulging biceps of "Big Klu," he had arms like 'steel sinew' that held those massive paws. Hodges was foremost a team player.

On Aug. 31, 1950. Hodges became only the second man in the 20th century to hit four homers (off four different pitchers) in a nine-inning game. Lou Gehrig was the first in 1932.

One of baseball's most potent trios was Hodges, Snider and Campanella. They played steady together for nine years and combined to drive in 2,760 runs from '49 through '57, to average over 300 + RBI per year. Hodges belongs in the Hall of Fame. His numbers, his presence, his hallmark leadership say so. Remember, those miracle Mets had the strongman as manager!