Vin Scully makes the case for Gil Hodges in the Hall of Fame

Sunday is when a pair of committees will meet and discuss Hall of Fame worthiness of 10 candidates each. One of those groups, the Golden Days Era committee, includes Gil Hodges, Maury Wills, and Dick Allen, and Ken Boyer, all former Dodgers.

Vin Scully, who called games involving every retired number in Dodgers history during his 67 years behind the mic, wrote an essay strongly in support of Hodges getting inducted in Cooperstown, for MLB.com:

I am often asked who the best ballplayer was that I watched during my broadcasting career. In looking back over my 67 years behind the microphone, I was truly blessed to watch firsthand so many of the all-time greats performing at their very best on the biggest stages in the game’s history. It is truly impossible for me to single out just one player. However, in terms of the players I watched who performed at a high level on the playing field, but at an even higher level off the field in how they lived and carried out their lives, my response is an easy one — Gil Hodges.

On Monday the Hall of Fame announced the 16-member committee that will decide the fate of those on the Golden Days Era ballot. Twelve votes are required for induction, from this group:

• Hall of Famers Rod Carew, Fergie Jenkins, Mike Schmidt, John Schuerholz, Bud Selig, Ozzie Smith and Joe Torre
• Current MLB executives Al Avila, Bill DeWitt, Ken Kendrick, Kim Ng and Tony Reagins
• Media members and/or historians: Adrian Burgos Jr., Steve Hirdt, Jaime Jarrin and Jack O’Connell

Jarrín, who was inducted to Cooperstown as the Ford C. Frick Award winner in 1998, called his selection to the committee an honor:

Results of the Golden Days Era and Early Baseball Era committees will be announced on Sunday at 3 p.m. PT on MLB Network.

Links

I enjoyed this tidbit in Jeff Passan’s piece at ESPN on MLB labor negotiations. Among the restrictions if a lockout is instituted Thursday as expected, Passan writes, “No communication at all between players and teams. If a player is getting married, the general manager can’t go to the wedding.”

MLB players and owners are negotiating this week in Texas before the CBA expires on Wednesday. Jesse Rogers at ESPN has details on the owners’ latest proposal, which includes expanding the playoffs from 10 to 14 teams, and a draft lottery. The postseason proposal has been around for while, so much so that I wrote about it for SB Nation in February 2020.

Monday was Scully’s 94th birthday.