758:
403:, hitting a single and allowing both baserunners to score, giving the Indians the 3–2 win. On April 11, Hodge pinch hit again and doubled for his fourth consecutive MLB hit to drive in another run. After the game, which gave him four hits in four at bats for the year, he told sportswriters, "Golly, fellas, I'm hitting 4.000," becoming a fan favorite as a result. He followed that up with another game-winning play, a
418:
Entering the 1972 season, Hodge was not invited to spring training, as
Indians management felt he needed to work on his fielding to return to the majors, which Hodge felt was unjust since he had been used as a pinch hitter the primary season and was not given the opportunity to field. He spent the
223:
and becoming a fan favorite of the team. After a full season with the
Indians, he was demoted back to the minor leagues, served as a player-coach for one season and, after retiring as a ballplayer, became a coach in the Indians organization. He then served as a manager and coach for teams in the
419:
season with
Portland, where he had a .247 batting average in 116 games. During a period in August of that year, Portland tried him out as a pinch hitter like Cleveland had done the year prior, and he had nine hits in 17 at bats for a .530 average during the experiment.
36:
451:. He served as manager for three more seasons, leading the team to records of 75–64, 76–64, and 65–74, then was named as the Indians' traveling minor league hitting instructor for the 1985 season.
965:
359:, who said of him, "He has more hustle, desire, determination, and fan appeal than any player in our organization." He survived the final day of roster cuts, and made his MLB debut on April 6, hitting a
975:
415:. However, he struggled in the second half of the season, finishing the year with a .205 batting average in 80 games played, and was demoted to the Portland Beavers after the season ended.
439:
in 1975, Hodge was named manager of the San Jose team for the 1976 season. The Bees went 45–95 that year, and Hodge was fired at season's end. In 1981, he was named manager of the
458:, and served from 1986 to 1988, guiding the team to records of 70–69, 76–64, and 66–74. His last managerial role came in 1995, when he served as the manager for the
970:
248:. His mother worked at a garment factory, while his father worked at the local textile mill and ran the family farm. His nickname of "Gomer" came from a teammate Bob Wolfe on the
935:
215:
in 1971. Born in
Rutherfordton, North Carolina, Hodge was signed by the Indians in 1963, and spent the next eight seasons in the minor leagues. He joined the Indians in 1971,
980:
308:
and played there for two seasons. He had a .220 batting average in 114 games in 1966, but only played in 46 games the following year. Hodge then played for the
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852:
960:
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After being signed by the
Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent in 1963, Hodge began his professional career with the
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132:
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of the game. Hodge replaced Leon in the field and came to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning with two
740:
459:
411:. He followed that up in May with two game-winning hits in the ninth inning over three days against the
204:
192:
885:
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as a player-coach for the 1973 season. After serving as a coach for
Oklahoma City in 1974 and the
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462:, going 54–81 that season. During his time in the Expos organization, he served as a
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355:. During spring training, he was given an endorsement by Indians minor league manager
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474:, and he served in that role through 2001. Hodge died on May 13, 2007, from
44:
804:
Hoynes, Paul (December 16, 1984). "Competitive AL East Gets Even
Tougher".
333:
35:
292:, and had a .273 batting average in 127 games. He next played with the
152:
454:
After serving one season in that role, Hodge was named manager of the
220:
677:
Schneier, Russell (May 24, 1971). "Hodge's Hit Gives Tribe Split".
443:. The team went 81–55 in his first season, and he was named
379:
with the team down 2–0, Hodge pinch hit for second baseman
324:. He spent part of 1969 with Waterbury, then was promoted to the
789:(August 28, 1981). "Indians Give Hurler Llewalyn Another Shot".
662:
Schneier, Russell (April 29, 1971). "Indians Nip Angels, 3-2".
475:
332:. In 122 combined games, he had a .287 batting average and 11
771:
Schneider, Russell (September 29, 1976). "Schneider Around".
707:
Schneider, Russell (February 10, 1972). "Schneider Around".
597:"Retrosheet Boxscore: Detroit Tigers 8, Cleveland Indians 2"
581:
Schneider, Russell (February 27, 1971). "Schneider Around".
407:
on April 28 to give the
Indians a 3–2 win against the
312:
in 1968. In 120 games, he had a .231 batting average, eight
122:
September 26, 1971, for the Cleveland
Indians
470:. His last job in baseball was as a hitting coach for the
375:. Two days later, in the Indians' home opener against the
494:
Schneider, Russell (April 10, 1971). "Schneider Around".
478:, and was survived by his wife, Linda, and two children.
320:, and was named to the Eastern League All-Star Team as a
966:
Baseball players from
Rutherford County, North Carolina
112:
April 6, 1971, for the Cleveland Indians
976:
Deaths from motor neuron disease in the United States
725:(July 15, 1972). "All Star Starter: Gaylord Perry".
272:The nickname stuck with him throughout his career.
165:
151:
141:
131:
126:
116:
106:
26:
820:
538:"Gomer Hodge Minor League Statistics and History"
296:in 1965, and had a .277 batting average and 13
191:(April 3, 1944 – May 13, 2007) was an American
880:Career statistics and player information from
853:"Gomer Hodge, ballplayer, coach for Pawtucket"
300:in 117 games. In 1966, he was promoted to the
284:. In 80 games with the Packers, he had a .218
971:Neurological disease deaths in North Carolina
8:
749:. February 15, 1973. p. 30 – via
564:"Tim Murtaugh Picked On Eastern All-Stars".
340:, where he hit .291 with nine home runs, 66
741:"Gomer Hodge Selected As Club Player-Coach"
513:"Can 'Gomer' Rescue The Cleveland Indians?"
34:
23:
981:People from Rutherfordton, North Carolina
638:"Former Indian Harold 'Gomer' Hodge dies"
466:, and convinced the organization to sign
288:. The following year he played with the
486:
336:. Hodge spent the 1970 season with the
236:organizations until his death in 2007.
169:
936:Burlington Indians players (1958–1964)
351:in 1971 and received an invitation to
532:
530:
528:
7:
244:Hodge was born on April 3, 1944, in
16:American baseball player (1944-2007)
371:in the fifth inning and drove in a
621:"Hodge's Hit in 9th Wins Opener".
387:, later scoring the Tribe's first
252:in 1964 due to his resemblance to
14:
636:Manoloff, Dennis (May 14, 2007).
427:After spending the winter in the
911:Major League Baseball infielders
756:
692:"Indians Farm Out Gomer Hodge".
383:in the eighth inning, hitting a
823:Whatever Happened To Super Joe?
696:. November 24, 1971. p. 9.
827:. Gray & Company. p.
423:Coaching career and later life
1:
511:Novak, Ralph (June 5, 1971).
246:Rutherfordton, North Carolina
219:four times in his first four
65:Rutherfordton, North Carolina
625:. April 9, 1971. p. 2F.
570:. June 19, 1968. p. 25.
961:Oklahoma City 89ers players
886:Baseball Reference (Minors)
819:Schneider, Russell (2006).
567:Delaware County Daily Times
189:Harold Morris "Gomer" Hodge
997:
926:Waterbury Indians players
921:Pawtucket Indians players
916:Cleveland Indians players
431:, Hodge was named to the
256:, who played the role of
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71:
51:
42:
33:
956:Portland Beavers players
941:Savannah Indians players
347:Hodge was signed by the
946:Dubuque Packers players
931:Salinas Indians players
344:, and 13 stolen bases.
746:Mansfield News Journal
543:Baseball-Reference.com
263:The Andy Griffith Show
82:Saluda, North Carolina
951:San Jose Bees players
460:West Palm Beach Expos
207:games primarily as a
205:Major League Baseball
193:professional baseball
476:Lou Gehrig's Disease
330:Pacific Coast League
269:Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
203:. He appeared in 80
445:Manager of the Year
433:Oklahoma City 89ers
117:Last MLB appearance
882:Baseball Reference
290:Burlington Indians
250:Burlington Indians
472:Pawtucket Red Sox
468:Vladimir Guerrero
409:California Angels
349:Cleveland Indians
310:Waterbury Indians
302:Pawtucket Indians
226:Milwaukee Brewers
213:Cleveland Indians
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174:Cleveland Indians
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497:The Plain Dealer
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441:Waterloo Indians
413:New York Yankees
338:Savannah Indians
326:Portland Beavers
266:and its spinoff
260:on television's
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395:and runners on
353:spring training
294:Salinas Indians
286:batting average
282:Dubuque Packers
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133:Batting average
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859:. May 15, 2007
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456:Beloit Brewers
449:Midwest League
429:Mexican League
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377:Boston Red Sox
369:Detroit Tigers
342:runs batted in
306:Eastern League
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276:Playing career
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234:Boston Red Sox
230:Montreal Expos
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808:. p. 75.
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729:. p. 35.
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723:Lebovitz, Hal
718:
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711:. p. 6F.
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681:. p. 1D.
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666:. p. 1E.
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642:Cleveland.com
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365:Mickey Lolich
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62:April 3, 1944
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861:. Retrieved
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787:Pluto, Terry
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547:. Retrieved
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516:
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489:
453:
426:
417:
357:Ray Hathaway
346:
318:stolen bases
298:stolen bases
279:
267:
261:
243:
209:pinch hitter
188:
187:
143:Games played
97:
91:
77:(2007-05-13)
75:May 13, 2007
72:
52:
43:
18:
906:2007 deaths
901:1944 births
518:Times Daily
28:Gomer Hodge
895:Categories
884:, or
857:Boston.com
601:Retrosheet
482:References
381:Eddie Leon
258:Gomer Pyle
254:Jim Nabors
240:Early life
58:1944-04-03
334:home runs
107:MLB debut
45:Infielder
447:for the
211:for the
195:player,
863:May 21,
647:May 21,
606:May 21,
367:of the
328:of the
314:triples
304:of the
221:at bats
217:hitting
201:manager
153:At bats
92:Batted:
835:
549:May 2,
397:second
385:double
361:single
232:, and
98:Threw:
94:Switch
84:, U.S.
67:, U.S.
464:scout
401:third
316:, 13
197:coach
166:Teams
100:Right
73:Died:
53:Born:
865:2016
833:ISBN
649:2016
608:2016
551:2016
399:and
393:outs
363:off
199:and
178:1971
137:.205
389:run
373:run
897::
855:.
831:.
829:24
743:.
640:.
599:.
540:.
527:^
515:.
228:,
157:83
147:80
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56:(
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