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OTD 1967: Mets Trade for New Manager Gil Hodges

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Perhaps the most important trade in Mets’ history wasn’t even for a player. In the story of a franchise, there are a few seminal moments. The acquisition and appointment of Gil Hodges as manager is definitely one of them.

He had been a Met, a member of the original 1962 club in the twilight of his playing career. More famously, Hodges was a significant part of the Dodgers’ success in the late 1940s and 50s. The leadership qualities which made him a respected first baseman weren’t lost on organizations seeking a manager. And for more than four seasons, he oversaw an inexperienced Washington Senators club which improved incrementally each year.

Mets’ vice president Johnny Murphy sought a replacement for the recently-departed Wes Westrum. He had a connection in Washington: George Selkirk, the Senators’ general manager and Murphy’s former roommate when they were Yankee teammates.

Selkirk wouldn’t give in so easily. But shortly after Murphy took over GM duties from Bing Devine, the offer was Hodges for right-handed pitcher Bill Denehy and $100,000 as compensation to release Hodges from his deal with Washington. Realizing the possibility of no return if he decided to leave when the contract expired following the 1968 season, Selkirk relented.

Inheriting a club that had suffered 100 or more defeats in five of its first six seasons, he instilled a confidence that future Mets teams would be different than their predecessors.

Hodges proved to be more patient than most disciplined leaders and less vocal also. But there was never any doubting whose word mattered in the Mets’ clubhouse. Many leaders are usually feared or loved. Gil was both. No player was immune from his authority. And no player would dare question it.

As for in-game strategy, he maximized the talent at his disposal—coaxing and adjusting a lineup to create the greatest chance of victory. He allowed inexperienced players to work through tough situations and out of any rough stretches. By the end of 1968, the Mets made a significant step toward respectability, even if it didn’t appear that way in the standings.

New York improved by 12 games with a franchise-best 73 wins and a ninth-place finish—just the second time the Mets had emerged from the cellar. That was nothing compared to what took place the next year.

There were many reasons why the Mets became champions in 1969—Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman’s brilliant pitching, stellar defense, and timely hitting. But none of that would have been possible without Hodges’s unwavering leadership. That, in short, is his Mets’ legacy.

His way overdue election to the Hall of Fame—better late than never—is based on his success as a player, but Hodges’ influence as a manager in New York certainly should certainly be included.

The post OTD 1967: Mets Trade for New Manager Gil Hodges first appeared on Metsmerized Online.

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