Hall of Fame first baseman Gil Hodges was one of baseball's greatest players of the 1950s, and he was also the manager of the 1969 Miracle Mets, the hitherto perennial underdogs who became the '69 World Champions. Offered is the opportunity to possess a 1953 Gil Hodges United Press Association Type I photograph of Hodges demonstrating his great versatility in a great gag photo shot that shows him exiting the dugout with a first baseman's mitt (for a left-handed first sacker, while he was right-handed), a fielder's glove, a catcher's chest protector, and two baseball bats. Hodges, from Princeton Indiana, was signed to a Brooklyn Dodgers contract in 1943, and he made his professional debut in the Major Leagues in the season's final game, playing third base, without ever appearing in a minor league game. After his one-game debut, Hodges joined the U.S. Marine Corps, and he became an anti-aircraft gunner who was in the battles of Tinian and Okinawa, and he was awarded a Bronze Star Award with a Combat "V" for his "heroism under fire." After World War II, Hodges resumed his baseball career, but this time he was a catcher at Newport News in the Brooklyn minor league chain. By 1947, he re-emerged in the Major Leagues as a Dodger catcher. In 1948, with Hall of Famer Roy Campanella ready to catch for Brooklyn, Hodges shifted to first base. In the 1950s, Hodges was sometimes used as an outfielder. 

He finished an 18-year Major League playing career in 1963, with 16 seasons as a Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodger and his final two seasons with the New York Mets. Hodges won the first three Gold Glove first baseman Awards ever offered, and only teammate Duke Snider had more home runs and RBIs in MLB during the 1950s. Hodges was a 2-time World Champion and an 8-time All-Star.

The offered photo measures 7.25x9.1". The offering has been encapsulated and PSA Certified "TYPE I/AUTHENTIC." On back is a United Press Association stamp and a suggested caption which reads, in part, "THE DODGERS' GIL HODGES WEARS A CHEST PROTECTOR AND CARRIES BATS, A FIRST BASEMAN'S MITT AND FIELDER'S GLOVE TO SHOW THAT HE'S AN ALL-AROUND PLAYER...." The photo is in EXCELLENT condition.

Estimated domestic USA shipping cost only. Does not include handling or insurance: 16.16 Please feel free to contact us for a more accurate shipping cost.