» May 15, 1949: Boston's Vern Bickford stops the Dodgers, 4–0, allowing just four singles. One is by Gil Hodges, extending his hitting streak to 17 games. Jim Russell switch hits a homer and double to pin the loss on Morrie Martin. The Braves start Al Lakeman at 1B in place of Earl Torgeson, who separated his shoulder yesterday when he attempted to block Jackie Robinson on a double play. Torgeson will be operated on tomorrow and will be sidelined several months.

» May 22, 1949: Brooklyn's Don Newcombe makes his first ML start a dandy, shutting out the Reds, 3–0 in Cincinnati. It's the first shut out in a National League debut in eleven years and extends Brooklyn's win streak at Cincinnati to 19 games going back to June 1947. Newk gives up hits to the first two batters, then allows just three more hits while walking none. He drives in two runs as well. Ken Raffensberger then matches Newk by firing a one-hitter to beat Brooklyn, 2–0, tossing only 83 pitches. The only hit is a leadoff single by Gil Hodges in the 8th. Raffensberger pitched two one-hitters against the Dodgers in 1948.

» October 6, 1949: Another 1-0 game, and Preacher Roe wins this one for Brooklyn to knot the Series. Gil Hodges' single drives in Jackie Robinson in the 2nd for the winner.

» August 16, 1950: At the Polo Grounds, Henry Thompson of the Giants hits two HRs, both inside-the-park, as the Giants pummel the Dodgers, 16–7. Thompson is the first to do this since Terry Moore hit two for the Cardinals at Forbes Field on this same date in 1939. Don Mueller adds a grand slam. The Giants jump on Erskine in the first inning as 13 of the first 14 batters reach first safely. Sal Maglie is the winner despite giving up two homers, good for six runs, to Gil Hodges. The win leaves the Dodgers in third place, seven games out and the Giants in fifth, 10 games in back of the Phils.

» August 31, 1950: Gil Hodges of the Brooklyn Dodgers hits 4 HRs and a single, driving in 9 runs in the Dodgers 19–3 rout of the Boston Braves in Ebbets Field. Hodges’ 17 total bases is the most since 1894. Gil's first homer is a 2-run shot off loser Warren Spahn in the second inning, adds a 2-run homer in the third off Norman Roy, another 2-run homer off Bob Hall in the sixth, and a 3-run shot off Johnny Antonelli in the eighth. Erskine is the winner of the rout. Hodges had 4 long hits on June 25 last year, the first Dodger to twice have 4 extra base hits in a game.

» June 17, 1951: In Boston, the Dodgers win the first of two, 3–1, behind Carl Erskine's 2-hitter. Gil Hodges hits his 34th homer in support. The Braves jump on Johnny Schmitz for three runs in the first inning and take the nitecap, 4–3. Jackie Robinson leaves 13 baserunners in the two games.

» July 5, 1951: At Ebbets Field, Gil Hodges hits his 27th HR of the year to lead the Dodgers to a 8–4 win over the Giants. Andy Pafko also homers, off Larry Jansen. Don Newcombe notches his 12th win, giving up seven hits. After sweeping the Giants in the 3-game series, Dodger manager Chuck Dressen declares, "We knocked 'em out. They won't bother us anymore." The Dodgers now lead the Giants by seven 1/2 games.

» August 13, 1951: Where's Steve Sax when you need him? At Ebbets Field, the Dodgers offer up one of the odder promotions in "Music Depreciation Night," and every fan with a musical instrument is admitted free. 2,426 fans take advantage of the offer, including one with a piano. The Dodgers have a motive in countering the local musicians' union which wants to silence the non-union Sym-Phoney. The Dodgers outplay the Braves, 7–6, as Gil Hodges belts a 3-run homer in the 8th, following an intentional walk to Campanella, who had earlier homered.

» August 29, 1951: At Ebbets Field, the Dodgers roll to a 13–1 win over the Reds behind Don Newcombe. Gil Hodges drives in seven runs and hits his 35th and 36th homers to tie Ralph Kiner for the homer lead. He also sets a Dodger club record. Reese has three RBIs to run his total to 77.

» September 5, 1951: Ralph Branca, despite twinges in his arm, pitches the Dodgers to a 5–2 win over the Phillies. Gil Hodges drives home four runs on a grand slam off Ken Johnson. It is Gil's 37th homer of year, setting a new Dodger record.

» September 16, 1951: In Chicago, the Dodgers beat up on the Cubs, winning, 6–1, behind rookie Clem Labine. Rookie Bob Kelly takes the loss, allowing six hits, including Gil Hodges #38.

» October 2, 1951: The Dodgers bounce back as rookie Clem Labine evens the playoff with a 10–0 win, besting the Giants' Sheldon Jones. Home runs are smashed by Jackie Robinson, Gil Hodges, Andy Pafko, and Rube Walker. Willie Mays grounds into three double plays.

» October 7, 1952: In Game 7 the Yankees take their 4th consecutive WS championship, as Allie Reynolds, one of 3 relievers, defeats Joe Black 4-2. Billy Martin saves the day by snaring a 2-out, bases-loaded IF pop off the bat of Jackie Robinson. Gil Hodges goes hitless again and is 0-for-21 in the Series. Each Yank will receive a winners' share of $6,026, and each Dodger, a losers' share of $4,200.

» July 18, 1953: Dodger backup 1B Wayne Belardi scores two runs in the 8th inning, one on a pinch-hit grand slam. His slam in the eighth is the third Dodger grand slam in three games (Gil Hodges connected on the 16th, and Billy Cox, on the 17th). The Dodgers' 8-6 win over the Cardinals puts Brooklyn three games ahead of Milwaukee.

» August 30, 1953: The Dodgers rip St. Louis 20-4 with the help of two big innings. Dodger Jackie Robinson fans twice in the third inning, while Gil Hodges walks twice in the sixth. Roy Campanella's five RBIs ties the NL season mark of most RBIs by a catcher (122).

» April 23, 1954: Jackie Robinson steals 2B and 3B, then swipes home on the front end of a triple steal with Gil Hodges and Sandy Amoros in the 6th against the Pirates. The Dodgers win 6–5 in 13 innings, when Robinson doubles home Junior Gilliam.

» May 12, 1954: Dodger Gil Hodges' home run in the 5th spoils Lew Burdette's bid for a no-hitter in the Braves 5–1 win.

» May 30, 1954: Gil Hodges, given a 2nd chance when Whitey Lockman drops his foul pop, belts a 3-run inside-the-park homer in the 1st to lead the Dodgers to a 5–3 victory over the host Giants. Roy Campanella, out of action since May 4th with a wrist injury, is 0-for-4.

» August 8, 1954: The Dodgers score an NL record 13 runs in the eighth off Cincinnati in Ebbets Field to win 20-8. Twelve of the runs are unearned. Gil Hodges gets a triple and a HR in the eighth, while P Clem Labine, who has a career .100 BA, walks twice.

» August 25, 1954: The Dodgers hit nine HRs in a 2-day sweep of the Redlegs, winning 12-4 and 13­2. Gil Hodges of the Dodgers has two RBIs today to knock in 100 runs for the sixth consecutive season.

» September 25, 1954: Duke Snider joins teammate Gil Hodges in the 40-HR club, giving the Dodgers two 40-HR sluggers in 2 straight seasons. The Dodgers win 10-5.

» September 26, 1954: In his 2nd start, rookie Brooklyn lefty Karl Spooner shuts out Pittsburgh 1-0 on a Gil Hodges HR in the 8th. He fans 12 for a total of 27 strikeouts in his first 2 ML games, establishing a new record. Gil Hodges's 8th-inning HR, his 25th at Ebbets Field (a new club record), gives him 42 for the season, tying him with Duke Snider for the most by a Dodger.

» October 3, 1955: No more "wait till next year" as Brooklyn, behind the 2-0 pitching of Johnny Podres, brings its first WS championship to Brooklyn in 8 tries. Sixth-inning replacement Sandy Amoros races over to the wall in LF to one-hand an opposite-field bid for extra bases by Yogi Berra with the tying runs on. Amoros turns and fires to SS Pee Wee Reese who throws a bullet to Gil Hodges at 1B for the DP on Yankee base runner Gil McDougald.

» July 27, 1956: Gil Hodges's grand slam clips the Cubs 4-3, as the Dodgers move to five games behind the Braves.

» July 18, 1957: Dodger slugger Gil Hodges hits his 12th career grand slam to tie the NL record of Rogers Hornsby and Ralph Kiner, as the Dodgers edge the Cards 10-9. St. Louis remains a game behind the Phils. The slam comes against the Cardinals Wilmer Mizell.

» August 1, 1957: Gil Hodges hits his 13th career grand slam to establish a new NL record. This is the last grand slam in the history of the Brooklyn Dodgers franchise.

» September 24, 1957: In the last game at Ebbets Field, 6,702 fans watch Dodgers lefty Danny McDevitt prevail over the Pirates 2-0. Gil Hodges has the last RBI.

» April 23, 1958: Gil Hodges hits his 300th HR and Pee Wee Reese plays in his 2,000th game, but the Dodgers lose 7-6 to the Cubs. Duke Snider injures his arm before the game trying to throw a ball out of the Los Angeles Coliseum. Unamused Dodger officials dock him a day's pay.

» August 23, 1958: Dodgers P Don Drysdale hits two HRs in a 10-1 clipping of the Cards. Veteran Gil Hodges hits the 14th grand slam of his career, a new NL record. It is also the first slam in the history of the Dodgers on the West Coast.

» September 29, 1959: The Dodgers win Game 2 of the playoff 6-5, and take the NL pennant. Los Angeles overcomes a 5-2, 9th-inning deficit to tie the game; they win it in the 12th when Gil Hodges scores from 2nd on Felix Mantilla's off-balance heave past 1B after a difficult chance on Carl Furillo's grounder.

» April 30, 1961: Using Joey Amalfitano's bat, Willie Mays becomes the 9th player in ML history to enjoy a 4-HR game, and his eight RBI pace the Giants to a 14–4 win at Milwaukee's County Stadium. Led by Willie's 4, the Giants total a record tying eight homers (and 13 in two games) as Orlando Cepeda (2), Felipe Alou, and Jose Pagan also homer. Willie's 6th inning homer clears the LF bleachers at County Stadium. Hank Aaron collects a pair for the Braves for all the scoring. Billy Loes is the winning pitcher, and it marks the 4th time he has been in uniform at a game where a player has hit four homers: Loes was with the Dodgers in '50 and '54 when Gil Hodges and the Braves Joe Adcock connected, and with the Orioles in '59 when Rocky Colavito collected four.

» October 10, 1961: An expansion draft to stock the new National League clubs takes place in Cincinnati. Selecting 1st, Houston takes Giants SS Eddie Bressoud; the Mets take 31-year-old Giant C Hobie Landrith. Second choices are Bob Aspromonte (45s) and Elio Chacon. Other Houston selections include Bobby Shantz, Ken Johnson, Dick Farrell, and Bob Lillis. New York takes Roger Craig, Gil Hodges, Don Zimmer, Gus Bell, Jay Hook, among others. Also, Cards C Chris Cannizzaro, out much of this year due to an appendectomy.

» January 30, 1962: The Mets sign 1B Gil Hodges for $33,000. The veteran had been languishing on the Dodger bench for the past two seasons.

» April 28, 1962: Consecutive home runs by Frank Thomas, Charlie Neal, and Gil Hodges in the 6th inning are among a club-record five hit by the Mets against Philadelphia. The Mets win 8–6 at the Polo Grounds. For Thomas, it is the fifth time in eight years he has combined with teammates for three consecutive home runs.

» May 12, 1962: New York Mets relief P Craig Anderson wins both games of a doubleheader against the Braves to go 3–1. He will not win another game in the ML, losing his next 19 decisions, 16 of them this season. Ninth-inning home runs win the games as Hobie Landrith hits one in the opening 3–2 win and Gil Hodges closes a game-two 9–8 victory.

» May 22, 1963: The all-time shortest managerial career ends after one game—a loss—when Eddie Yost, who replaced Mickey Vernon (14-26) as the Senators pilot, is replaced by Gil Hodges. Hodges was acquired today from the Mets, who receive veteran Jimmy Piersall.

» September 19, 1967: Wes Westrum (57-94) resigns as manager of the Mets following a 4–3 loss to the Dodgers. Coach Salty Parker takes over and will be 4-7 for the rest of the season. Two days later the board of directors announces it will try to obtain Gil Hodges as manager.

» November 27, 1967: The New York Mets send P Bill Denehy and $100,000 to the Senators for Washington's manager, Gil Hodges. Jim Lemon is named manager of the Senators.

» September 24, 1968: Manager Gil Hodges suffers a heart attack during New York's game with the Braves. He is hospitalized, and Rube Walker takes the helm for the rest of the season. The Aaron brothers, Tommie and Hank, pull off a double steal for the Braves, with Hank scoring. The pair combine for five hits in a 7–3 win over the Mets.

» April 2, 1972: Mets manager Gil Hodges dies of a heart attack at West Palm Beach, Florida, two days shy of his 48th birthday. Yogi Berra is named manager.

» June 10, 1972: Hank Aaron hits his 14th career grand slam, tying Gil Hodges's National League record, as the Braves defeat the Phillies 15–3. It is career home run 649 for Aaron, enabling him to pass Willie Mays for 2nd place on the all-time list.

» January 15, 1981: In his first year of eligibility, former Cardinals P Bob Gibson is the only person elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA. Players falling short of the 301 votes needed for election include Don Drysdale (243), Gil Hodges (241), Harmon Killebrew (239), Hoyt Wilhelm (238), and Juan Marichal (233).

» March 1, 1988: For the first time since 1956 the Special Veterans Committee does not elect anyone to the Hall of Fame. Phil Rizzuto, Leo Durocher, Joe Gordon, and Gil Hodges are among the candidates passed over.