Gil Hodges, Maury Wills, Dick Allen on Hall of Fame committee ballot
by Rowan Kavner
Gil Hodges, Maury Wills, Dick Allen and Ken Boyer are back on the Hall of Fame ballot.
The four former Dodgers are among the 10 candidates on the Golden Days Era ballot to be considered for induction to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2022.
The Golden Days Era Committee considers candidates whose primary contributions to baseball came from 1950–69. The Hall of Fame is also considering 10 members for induction on the Early Baseball Era ballot, which includes candidates whose primary contributions to the game occurred before 1950.
The Era Committees will meet on Dec. 5 at the Winter Meetings. Candidates must receive 75 percent of the votes — which in this case means 12 votes from the 16-member committee — to earn election to the Hall of Fame. Candidates who receive the requisite number of votes will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 24, 2022.
Hodges ranks second in Dodger history in home runs (361) and RBI (1,254). An eight-time All-Star with the Dodgers, the first baseman posted an .847 OPS in his 16 seasons between Brooklyn and Los Angeles. He recorded at least 20 home runs in 11 straight seasons from 1949–59. As a manager, Hodges led the 1969 Mets to a World Series title. A documentary on Hodges, one of the all-time great Dodger players, is set to release Monday (information at www.gilhodgesfilm.com).
Wills is the Dodgers’ all-time steals leader (490). He stole 104 bases in his MVP 1962 season in Los Angeles. The seven-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award-winning shortstop spent 12 of his 14 Major League seasons with the Dodgers, batting .281/.331/.332. He finished his career with 586 steals, ranking 20th on the all-time Major League list.
Allen, a Rookie of the Year in 1964 with the Phillies and an MVP in 1972 with the White Sox, spent one of his 15 Major League seasons with the Dodgers. He hit .295/.395/.468 for the Dodgers in 1971, blasting 23 home runs. Allen finished his career with 351 homers and a .912 career OPS.
Boyer, an 11-time All-Star with the Cardinals, spent parts of the final two of his 15 Major League seasons with the Dodgers. He was an MVP and World Series champion in 1964 with the Cardinals, when he knocked in a Major League best 119 runs. The third baseman had a career 116 OPS+.
In addition to Hodges, Wills, Allen and Boyer, the other candidates on the Golden Days Era ballot are Jim Kaat, Roger Maris, Minnie Miñoso, Danny Murtaugh, Tony Oliva and Billy Pierce. The 10 members on the Early Baseball Era ballot are Bill Dahlen, John Donaldson, Bud Fowler, Vic Harris, Grant “Home Run” Johnson, Left O’Doul, Buck O’Neil, Dick “Cannonball” Redding, Allie Reynolds and George “Tubby” Scales.
O’Doul spent parts of three seasons in his 11-year career with the Dodgers, recording a .340 batting average. He finished his career with a .349 batting average and .945 OPS. Wills, Kaat and Oliva are the only remaining living members on the Golden Days Era ballot.
The results will be announced live on MLB Network at 3 p.m. PT on Dec. 5.
