Ron Hodges - 74

[MFS62]

He passed away today.

https://apnews.com/article/ron-hodges-dies-obituary-mets-fbf289ed74be7079624f16ac20f63451https://apnews.com/article/ron-hodges-dies-obituary-mets-fbf289ed74be7079624f16ac20f63451

When I think "reserve catcher" I think of him.

Later

[Edgy MD]

That's a terrible shame. He interviewed at Citi Field this Summer, and looked pretty healthy. The "short illness" to me suggests a bout of Covid, but I can only guess.



Author of the most consequential regular-season trip to the plate in team history, and tri-author of the of what is probably the most consequential defensive play.



Roomed with Gil Hodges Jr. in the minors under the Bob Miller rule. His wife Peggy was the star of the Mets Wives softball team.

[whippoorwill]

One of my dear ‘73 Mets.

[kcmets]

RIP - https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/ron-hodges/https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/ron-hodges/

[metirish]

Ah man, RIP , Ron

[Edgy MD]

Edgy MD wrote: His wife Peggy was the star of the Mets Wives softball team.

Here she is in her glory.



https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/peggy.jpg>



And son Gray takes the field on Family Day.



https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/gray.jpg>

[Edgy MD]

Ron raised his sons

Nat Hodges

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM

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Nat Hodges. 2,559 likes. Digital creator

right.

[Frayed Knot]

So that's Gray in home whites.

[Edgy MD]

Dear Gray,



Sorry we gave you a mesh cap.



Sincerely,



Mets Management

[G-Fafif]

https://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2023/11/25/ron-hodges-backed-us-up/Remembrance of a backup catcher.

[Edgy MD]

Thanks for that, and thanks for reviving your CPF Parody Challenge entry and giving the forum a shoutout.



My eyes courteously request that Faith and Fear increase their font size, or perhaps their line spacing, but I guess that's what my browser controls are for.

[smg58]

I'm too young to remember 73 directly, but Hodges had a whole career in that one game.



I started following baseball in 76, and I remember Hodges as the guy who was always there. He had a surprisingly good OBP, but it's hard to fathom why a backup catcher in the era of free agency hung around for one team as long as he did. Still he bled orange and blue, and he lasted through some dark days for long enough to see the turnaround start.

[MFS62]

Ron batted left handed, but the only picture of him I've seen in the obits is the one that shows him batting right handed (at Shea).

Didn't anyone care?

Have we ever discussed this (the re-printing of reverse images) before?



Later

[batmagadanleadoff]

https://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2023/11/25/ron-hodges-backed-us-up/Remembrance of a backup catcher.

I was there. At that Memorial day twofer. Hodges's HR was a blast to right-center field, but a tad closer to center than to right. Went to the next day's game also, when Joe Torre's two solo HR's weren't enough as the Bucs edged the Mets, 3-2. The next day's Daily News back page headline read: Pirates 3, Torre 2.



Was also there for that song pardody contest, hosted by yours truly, the last song parody ever held here, pretty much right after the Covid lockdowns went into effect. If I recall, there was more than one song parody referencing the Ball off the Wall play/game. Maybe even three.