Gil Hodges vs. Norm Cash
 

I'm not old enough to comment on Gil Hodges' worthiness to the Hall of Fame.

But If you look at baseball reference and compare Gil Hodges to Norm Cash the similarities are almost eerie. So, what's the reasoning behind Cash having no chance of ever getting in while Hodges has been mentioned for decades as the player most deserving who always fell short. Cash even has a batting title that Hodges doesn't have.

And he once tried to use a table leg to bat against Nolan Ryan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je8tttn017Q

Gil Hodges
SUMMARY
Career
WAR
43.9
AB
7030
H
1921
HR
370
BA
.273
R
1105
RBI
1274
SB
63
OBP
.359
SLG
.487
OPS
.846
OPS+
120

Norm Cash
SUMMARY
Career
WAR
52.0
AB
6705
H
1820
HR
377
BA
.271
R
1045
RBI
1104
SB
43
OBP
.374
SLG
.488
OPS
.862
OPS+
139

Gil had 7 100 RBI seasons, Cash had 1. Gil was also the manager of a team that pulled one of the biggest upsets in World Series history.

RBIs have a lot to do with who is hitting in front of you. Just ask Albert Pujols.

perversely I think Cash's monster season hurts him. It set expectations incredibly high and he never approached that level again. Hodges was a model of consistency.

This isnt a debate about RBIs, the OP asked why Hodges and not Cash and Hodges' 100 RBI seasons have a lot to do with it, voters like the big numbers and 100 RBI is a big number.

Indeed.

Those two things are not to be considered in the aggregate. You can get in as a player or a manager, but not as a combo as I understand it, though if you have a hall of fame vote you are not bound by any rules.

I always thought that if Vada Pinson's numbers had been more evenly distributed instead of front loaded he would have been inducted long ago.

Even though I'm a Tiger fan, and even though Norm Cash is one of the coolest baseball players in history, I don't think he's a hall-of-famer.

I grew up in the 70's Dave Parker and Steve Garvey and, later, Dale Murphy were 3 mega-stars of the era. If Gil Hodges is in, there's no reason these 3 guys don't get in, is there?

I look at how many HOF caliber years a player had, IMO a player needs at least 10. Murphy had 6, Parker had 6 and Garvey had 7. I think its possible 1 or all 3 get in eventually, the HOF is so watered down already.

As the boat gets heavier, you need more oars.

Is there any Hall that hasn't become watered down over time, I wonder. I was just looking at the NBA and it seems it too is now the hall of very good in many cases.

I guess they all do, the Football HOF is the worst IMO

Using that measurement standard, Koufax doesn't belong at all.

Its just my general guideline. Of course there are exceptions for guys like Koufax, who's peak years are off the charts.

I doubt that Cash's multiple references to having used a corked bat helped him.

Gil Hodges was the Tony Perez of his time.



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