{"product_id":"gil-hodges-a-hall-of-fame-life-hardback-9780803211247","title":"Gil Hodges; A Hall of Fame Life (Hardback) 9780803211247","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eGil Hodges\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cfont size=\"5\"\u003eA Hall of Fame Life\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eMort Zachter (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9780803211247\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eHardback, published 1 March 2015\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e496 pages, 39 photographs\u003cbr\u003e22.9 x 15.2 x 1.5 cm, 0.666 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e“At last Gil Hodges is a Hall of Famer. Now that the leader of two of the most iconic baseball teams of all time, the 1955 Dodgers and 1969 Mets, is enshrined in Cooperstown, his fascinating life story deserves greater appreciation. Mort Zachter delivers a book worthy of the great player, manager and American.”-Tom Verducci, senior writer for \u003ci\u003eSports Illustrated\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv\u003e“Zachter’s account of Hodges’s exploits is thorough and entertaining, and his case that his favorite player probably ought to be in the Hall of Fame is convincing.”-Bill Littlefield, NPR’s \u003ci\u003eOnly a Game\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv\u003e\"Mort Zachter captures the essence of Hodges in his biography.\"-Bob D'Angelo, \u003ci\u003eTampa Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv\u003e\"Fans who remember the Brooklyn Bums and the Miracle Mets will find this a must-read.\"-Jim Burns, \u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv\u003e“Exhaustively researched.”-\u003ci\u003eChristian Science Monitor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv\u003e“The definitive and wonderfully told tale of a baseball icon. Mort Zachter has given Gil Hodges the biography he has long deserved.”-Michael Shapiro, professor of journalism at Columbia University and author of \u003ci\u003eThe Last Good Season: Brooklyn, the Dodgers and Their Final Pennant Race Together\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e “Whether focusing on Hodges the Hoosier, the marine on Okinawa, the home run–hitting slugger, or the Brooklynite on Bedford Avenue, Mort Zachter has given us Gil, right down to the nub of his Marlboro. His mincing steps to the mound are remembered along with the candles lit in church and the day Brooklyn’s heart skipped a beat with his. This one spikes high into your heart; the Hodges epic is a lesson in humanity for all seasons.”-Bob McGee, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Greatest Ballpark Ever: Ebbets Field and the Story of the Brooklyn Dodgers\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e \u003cp\u003e“Zachter brings the same grace and precision to the page that Hodges brought to first base at Ebbets Field and with methodical research, insight, and pure affection gives life to the man behind the astounding stats, proving once and for all that Hodges truly belongs in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Kudos to Mort Zachter for giving a beloved Brooklyn legend his due.”-Marty Markowitz, former Brooklyn Borough president\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv\u003e\"[An] excellent biography.\"-Jacqueline Cutler, \u003ci\u003eNewark Star Ledger\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv\u003e“Absolutely fantastic. It was truly a pleasure to read.”-Josh Lewin, New York Mets broadcaster  \u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e In descriptions of athletes, the word “hero” is bandied about and liberally attached to players with outstanding statistics and championship rings. \u003ci\u003eGil Hodges: A Hall of Fame Life\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of a man who epitomized heroism in its truest meaning, holding values and personal interactions to be of utmost importance throughout his life-on the diamond, as a marine in World War II, and in his personal and civic life. A New York City icon and, with the Brooklyn Dodgers, one of the finest first basemen of all time, Gil Hodges (1924–72) managed the Washington Senators and later the New York Mets, leading the 1969 “Miracle Mets” to a World Series championship. A beloved baseball star, Hodges was also an ethical figure whose sturdy values both on and off the field once prompted a Brooklyn priest to tell his congregation to “go home, and say a prayer for Gil Hodges” in order to snap him out of the worst batting slump of his career. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Mort Zachter examines Hodges’s playing and managing days, but perhaps more important, he unearths his true heroism by emphasizing the impact that Hodges’s humanity had on those around him on a daily basis. Hodges was a witty man with a dry sense of humor, and his dignity and humble sacrifice sometimes masked a temper that made Joe Torre refer to him as the “Quiet Inferno.” The honesty and integrity that made him so popular to so many remained his defining elements. Firsthand interviews of the many soldiers, friends, family, former teammates, players, and managers who knew and respected Hodges bring the totality of his life into full view, providing a rounded appreciation for this great man and ballplayer. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eList of Illustrations\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePreface\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrologue: His Reputation Preceded Him\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHOME—Princeton and Petersburg (1924–43)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1. Coal Miner's Son\u003cu\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2. The Twig, the Branch, and the Lip\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAWAY—The Pacific (1944–45); Newport News (1946)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3. Okinawa\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4. Newport News\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHOME—Brooklyn (1947–57)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5. Hanging On\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e6. Breaking Through\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e7. Four in One, One for Four\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8. Great Expectations\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e9. A Bitter Uniqueness\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e10. Say a Prayer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e11. The Day Next Year Arrived\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e12. Where in America Would You See That?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e13. The Last Season\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAWAY—Los Angeles (1958–61)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e14. The Worst Place Ever\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e15. World Champions\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHOME—Manhattan (1962)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e16. Casey\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAWAY—Washington DC (1963–67)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e17. In the Cellar\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e18. Off the Floor\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e19. On the Doorstep of Respectability\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHOME—Queens (1968–72)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e20. The Mets Get Serious\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e21. Contenders\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e22. Miracle\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e23. Struggles in the Spotlight\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e24. Easter Sunday\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEpilogue: A Life\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfterword: Hodges and the Hall\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcknowledgments\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBibliography\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIndex\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"University of Nebraska Press","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52545940685080,"sku":"9780803211247","price":31.77,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/gil-hodges-a-hall-of-fame-life-hardback-9780803211247","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}