Jay who is receiving the Gil Hodges Unforgettable Fire award this Saturday at QBC 2022 wrote a nice pies about Gil over on the Mets Insider Blogs
By Jay Horwitz
I thought I knew Gil Hodges but I really didn’t.
I read all about his standout career with the Brooklyn Dodgers. All the home runs, RBI, Gold Gloves and pennants. Like all Mets fans, I know all about the Miracle Mets and the 1969 World Series. But I came to realize Gil was so much more than stats and records.
The HOF finally recognized that after 50 long years. He was a man of character and decency. He served his country in the Marines for three years , won a medal for his service and didn’t even tell his family.Gil and his wife Joan were staunch backers of Jackie Robinson’s fight, both on and off the field. He was one of Jackie’s prime protectors. Gil was beloved by his Brooklyn community and thousands attended his funeral. His 1969 players told me he treated everyone the same, no favorites.
With that being said I want to tell everyone how proud I am to be receiving the “Gil Hodges Award” at the Queens Baseball Convention on Saturday. Gil’s daughter, Irene Hodges, will be with me. Just to have something with Gil’s name on it means so much.
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