It was April 2, 1972, when New York Mets manager Gil Hodges left this world. Following an Easter Sunday golf game with his fellow coaches, Hodges collapsed on the way back to the hotel.
Hodges is one of those players in MLB history everyone seems to respect. Because he made his mark both as a player and manager, his legacy spanned multiple generations.
He was more than just a man who showed up to work and did his job. Hodges did it well and went beyond the usual call of many athletes.
The Indiana-born kid began his MLB career in 1943 with one game for the Brooklyn Dodgers.