Ron Hodges, a catcher who spent his complete 12-season Main League Baseball profession with the New York Mets, died on Friday. He was 74 years of age.
Hodges died at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital after a quick sickness, in response to Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz.
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Chosen by the Mets within the second spherical of the 1972 Participant Entry Draft, Hodges completed with a .240 batting common, 19 dwelling runs and 147 RBIs throughout his main league profession, which spanned from 1973 to 1984. Hodges had a .342 fielding proportion with 224 walks and 217 strikeouts.
He performed for seven managers with the Mets: Yogi Berra, Roy McMillan, Joe Torre, George Bamberger, Frank Howard and Davey Johnson.
A local of Rocky Mount, Virginia, Hodges was the seventh of 9 youngsters born to Daisy and Tony Hodges. He attended Franklin County Excessive College after which attended Appalachian State.
Hodges got here to the Mets from Double-A Memphis in 1973 as a consequence of accidents to Jerry Grote and Duffy Dyer. Hodges made his debut on June 13, 1973, 9 days shy of his twenty fourth birthday, main Tom Seaver to an entire recreation victory over San Francisco in his first look.
He batted .260 with a house run and 18 RBIs in his rookie season, hitting a single within the thirteenth inning in opposition to Nationwide League East Division-leading Pittsburgh on 20 September.
Within the high of the inning with a runner on first, Dave Augustine related on a two-out hit in opposition to Ray Sadecki that bounced off the left-field wall over the 358-foot signal.
Cleon Jones threw to Wayne Garrett, and the shortstop relayed to Hodges, who touched Richie Zisk attempting to attain from first, which turned often called the “ball-in-the-wall play.”
The Mets closed to inside a half-game of first and took the division lead for good the subsequent day behind Seaver’s 5 hits.
“I bear in mind so many key hits he received for us,” Jones stated in an announcement.
“Each time he performed, Ron all the time managed to do one thing to assist us win.”
How did Ron Hodges’ MLB profession go?
Hodges had one postseason plate look, strolling in opposition to Oakland’s Rollie Fingers in Sport 1 of the World Collection.
“Taking part in in that ’73 season with the pennant in September is my favourite reminiscence of my baseball profession,” Hodges stated in a 2018 interview with the Society for American Baseball Analysis.
Hodges was among the many gamers whose careers have been interrupted by the 50-day midseason strike in 1981.
“If nothing occurs within the strike talks, I will get everyone within the automobile and return to Virginia,” he advised the New York Instances.
“There’s not a lot demand for substitute academics in summer season faculty. However I used to make 25 to 30 {dollars} a day through the winter, instructing center faculty bodily schooling.
“Many days I discovered myself in maths and science. While you’re a substitute, you’re taking what they have.”
Hodges was behind the plate in Seaver’s return to the Mets on the opening day of the 1983 season after the star spent 5 and a half seasons with Cincinnati. On account of accidents to John Stearns, Hodges performed 110 video games that 12 months, his solely season with greater than 80 appearances on the plate.
Hodges is survived by his spouse Peggy; youngsters Riley, Grey, Nat and Casey; sisters Aubrey, Carmen, Pat and Donna; and two grandchildren.
