Gil Hodges — Soul of Champion

By Jay Horwitz

Home runs, runs batted in and Gold Gloves are great and Gil had plenty of each of them, but two words which really define his life, character and principle. And those really come across in the film about Gil, which was produced by Spirit Juice Studios.

Gil treated everyone the same, teammates or players he managed. He was a staunch defender of Jackie Robinson and played such a key part in helping him break into the major leagues.

He served his country as a Marine in the South Pacific. He was stationed in both Pearl Harbor and Kauai.

In the documentary, you hear the great Vin Scully, the late Tommy Lasorda and 1969 Mets, Cleon Jones, Art Shamsky and Ron Swoboda, tell what made Gil tick.

Mets fans, Dodger fans, his players, former teammates and the Hodges family an only hope that the gates of Cooperstown will finally open for him on December 5. Its honor long overdue.

The film runs 28 minutes and you can watch it right here. Visit www.gilhodgesfilm.com for more information and you also will find a website dedicated to Gil’s career.