Gil Hodges Jr.

[Edgy MD]

Just listening to an interview with him, mostly low-cal stuff from one of Gil Sr.'s overgrown fanbois. Then the minor bombshell comes. During 1969, Gil Jr. was a college student and his Dad got permission for him to travel with the team, work out with them, dress for the games and sit in the dugout. Probably relatively common knowledge but I didn't know that despite the number of books I own (and some I've read, and one I helped write[!]) about 1969.

He says he was drafted by the Cards and then went over to the Mets, but it must've been fast. because his bb-ref page only shows Mets stats. He seems to have done decent enough to continue past the two years he put in (his second year as bad as his first was good), but apparently he had been hurt.

I seem to recall him getting in some terrible legal trouble, but that apparently was a grandson, also named Gil (not sure if he was Gil Jr.'s son), who killed a guy who was riding on his hood (joyriding?). The victim was apparently mobbed up.

Howard Cosell told the story of Gil's funeral and having Gil Jr. in the back seat of his car and Jackie Robinson crying inconsolably.

[Frayed Knot]

Cosell seemed to tell a bunch of funeral stories ... particularly ones that just happened to place himself either at or near the center of the action.

[dinosaur jesus]

Frayed Knot wrote: Cosell seemed to tell a bunch of funeral stories ... particularly ones that just happened to place himself either at or near the center of the action.

Did I ever tell the one about me, Ali, and Don Meredith at Cosell's funeral? I'll just say that I'm making damn sure I don't have an open casket at mine.

[Edgy MD]

Nice.