COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Irene Hodges has been engaged on her speech — and even sleeping with it, she jokes — since January, weeks after her household lastly received the decision they’ve been ready on for greater than 5 a long time.
Irene’s father, Gil Hodges, the longtime Brooklyn Dodgers nice and the supervisor of the Mets’ 1969 World Collection championship workforce, shall be inducted into the Baseball Corridor of Fame on Sunday, greater than 50 years after his loss of life in 1972.
“I’ve been sleeping with my speech on my mattress. I even have a duplicate in my automotive and a duplicate downstairs. So I’ve been engaged on it nearly continuously,” Irene Hodges advised The Publish. “While you attempt to make every thing so good and so proper, it’s so laborious.
“I’ve by no means given a speech for him earlier than. Actually not of this magnitude. I simply needed it to be from me and from my household. It’s thrilling.”
Irene has been joined upstate this weekend by her brother Gil Hodges Jr., her sister Cindy and numerous different members of the family. Hodges’ widow, 95-year-old Joan Hodges, nonetheless, shall be unable to attend.
“I've taken care of my mom for the final 2 ¹/₂ years, and I’m giving the speech since she couldn’t do it,” Irene Hodges stated. “Earlier than I left, I stated, ‘All proper, I’m leaving, I’ll see you on Monday. Bear in mind that is all for Daddy.’ ”
Her mom’s response? “Inform him I stated hello,” Irene Hodges recounted.
Irene Hodges’ speech absolutely will cowl the outstanding, if too temporary, life and profession of her father, a Marine and Bronze Star recipient throughout World Struggle II and a staple of World Collection winners with the Dodgers each in Brooklyn (1955) and Los Angeles (1959) throughout an 18-year taking part in profession.
The eight-time All-Star earned a 3rd ring as supervisor of the Miracle Mets in 1969, earlier than dying of a coronary heart assault at 47 years outdated late in spring coaching on April 2, 1972.
“I’m so pleased that he’s going into the Corridor of Fame. I have a look at him as an American hero, and I believe we’re so missing for American heroes currently, that it’s apropos that that is taking place,” former Mets outfielder Artwork Shamsky stated at a latest look honoring Hodges on Lengthy Island. “It’s going to be such a beautiful weekend. … Gil’s lastly getting what he deserved, and you may have a look at the Corridor of Fame and the explanation why he didn’t make it in till now.
“The Corridor of Fame is so subjective, however I believe the underside line is we're all so pleased about this.”
Certainly, the longstanding debate about Hodges’ candidacy has raged for many years, and particularly since he garnered 63.4 p.c (shy of the 75 p.c needed for induction) in his fifteenth and last 12 months on the Baseball Writers Affiliation of America poll in 1983.
Hodges additionally fell quick on quite a few appearances to be voted in by the assorted Veterans Committees earlier than the household acquired the decision in December that he was designated for inclusion by the Golden Period Committee. He shall be inducted together with BBWAA electee David Ortiz, fellow Golden Period alternatives Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva and Minnie Minoso, and former Negro Leagues stars Buck O’Neil and Bud Fowler.
To signify Hodges and the Mets, Shamsky shall be joined at Sunday’s ceremony by former teammates Ed Kranepool, Cleon Jones and Ron Swoboda, in addition to Sarah Seaver Zaske, the daughter of late Mets legend Tom Seaver.
Hodges, whose quantity 14 was retired by the Mets in 1973, additionally will turn out to be the eighth member of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers elected to the Corridor — becoming a member of Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, supervisor Walter Alston, and pitchers Sandy Koufax and Tommy Lasorda (who was inducted as a supervisor in 1997). Robinson as soon as known as Hodges “the core of the Brooklyn Dodgers,” and now he lastly will be part of his teammates in Cooperstown.
“I keep in mind asking my dad as soon as, ‘Daddy, do you suppose you’ll ever make the Corridor of Fame?’ ‘No,’ he stated. ‘By no means,’ ” Irene Hodges recalled. “I requested him, ‘Why do you say that?’
“He stated, ‘These are all nice gamers in there. I’m not even shut.’ I needed to inform him, ‘Hey, you had been a fantastic participant, too.’ And now I can.”
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