An important role of any mental health professional, who is a member of a service plan or treatment plan team, is that of client advocate. Often it is the evaluator/therapist who is in a favored position to serve as spokesperson in behalf of the child client’s treatment, developmental and social needs. Within the foster care as well as child custody fields, judges, attorneys, guardian ad litems, service plan team members and family members rely heavily upon the mental health professional when considering major decisions affecting the child. In advocating for one’s client, it is important to be as objective as possible, but without losing sight of the intangible humanistic factors that should not be overlooked. Decision makers want to and need to know the facts about the client’s needs, strengths, and risk factors in his/her life, but they also need to appreciate what the client faces… from the client’s perspective. It is here that subjectivity often enters the mix, thereby increasing the possibility that projective identification, reflecting the needs and wishes of the provider, will complicate matters. The credibility of the human service provider as advocate hinges largely on conveying the perception that objective fact leads the way in decision making. The professional must be willing to allow the facts take him to the recommendations he or she is making. As much as he or she cares about and empathizes with the client, the professional needs to be sufficiently “disinterested” in advocating for any particular direction. In legal circles, this is often referred to as “particularized disinterest.” Whereas this is a worthy ideal to which to subscribe, we in the human service field usually find it almost impossible to emotionally detach to the extent that 100% objectivity is achieved. Instead, we often inadvertently intertwine objective fact with sentimentality.
To illustrate, let’s take a look at the world of sport, wherein we as fans find ourselves passionately advocating, a.k.a. “rooting” for the player or team of our choice. Anyone who knew me during the early to mid-fifties, saw first- hand what a young, fanatic baseball enthusiast looked like. Sixty years later, I’m still rooting for the Brooklyn Dodgers. They are collectively etched in neuronal amber, preserved in all their glory as if they were still alive, and playing at Ebbets Field. A distinct advantage that I have over current day Yankee and Mets fans (although the Mets are my second favorite team), is the fact that my team hasn’t lost a game in 57 years. The following is a letter that I wrote three years ago in November, 2011, in my capacity as “client advocate”. My “client” was and remains one, Gilbert Ray Hodge (later Hodges), who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers very briefly during World War ll, before enlisting in the Marines, and then excelled for them, beginning in 1948 through 1957, after which the Brooklyn Dodgers ceased to exist outside of one’s reveries. It was and is my contention that Gil Hodges deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. What follows is my letter to the 16 members of the 2011 veteran’s committee who were charged with determining who was to be selected for this singular honor. Although I didn’t intend it, the letter is illustrative of a mix of objectivity and sentimentality. The factual accomplishments that I chose to highlight are indisputable. It is nevertheless possible that some members of the veteran’s committee may not have considered all the points made to have been terribly relevant. Then there is the effect of sentimentality (e.g. “… you simply could not be a Dodgers fan, without loving Gil Hodges;” “…he was a winner with class”). When I injected these comments, did I simultaneously lower some of my credibility? Perhaps so, as Gil fell a few votes shy of garnering the requisite 12 (75%) votes needed for enshrinement. But, who cares, Mrs. Joan Hodges called to tell me that she loved it, and that she wished she had selected me as her Psychologist years ago.
Now, three years later, Gil is once again up for consideration. The reconstructed veteran’s committee no longer contains such Hodges supporters as the late Ralph Kiner or Tommy LaSorda, seemingly lowering his chances. But, who knows? Perhaps some readers would like to take the ball and run with it. Tell your friends, call the sports shows, or get in touch with such committee members as Rod Carew, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan, and Ozzie Smith. Hone your advocacy skills and passion!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 11, 2011
Golden Era Veterans Committee
National Baseball Hall of Fame
25 Main Street
Cooperstown, N.Y. 13326
Gentlemen,
I am writing to you as a lifelong baseball fan and student of the game. Growing up on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, I was an avid fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers by the time I entered kindergarten. My earliest baseball memory is hearing from my first grade teacher , on the afternoon of October 3, 1951, that a man named Bobby Thomson hit a home run to beat the Dodgers, and win the pennant for the Giants. Rather than discourage me, this served to engender an even stronger emotional bond with the Bums. Beginning in June, 1952, and continuing through September, 1957, I attended many games at Ebbets Field. In most instances, that meant being driven straight up Bedford Avenue, along with my brother, Phil, in my father’s 1937 Dodge. About a mile and a half into the 4 mile trip, we’d pass by Gil Hodges’ home. Even as young kids, we were very much aware that Gil, a son of the Midwest, had become a full- fledged Brooklynite, once he married his beloved Joan. Of all the Dodgers, he was the one most identified as a local hero, even after Sandy Koufax joined the club as a teenager in 1955. Gil would show up at a Woolworth’s on Avenue U., to sign autographs and chat with us kids, or appear at the Bat-A-Way on Surf Avenue in Coney Island, where he’d blast shots over the elevated train platform in the distance, while we just stood there and gawked. If Jackie Robinson was the incredible dynamo and trailblazer, and Pee Wee Reese was the Captain and leader, and Duke Snider was the acrobatic, flamboyant, sometimes tempestuous superstar, it was Gil who was the quiet, humble, Gary Cooper style symbol of strength. You simply could not be a Brooklyn Dodgers fan without loving Gil.
I’m fully aware that in casting your votes for one or more of the 10 Hall of Fame candidates in this year’s Golden Era election, sentimentality, popularity, and even an individual’s character should not enter into your deliberations. One’s on the field performance, and his record of excellence, in comparison with his contemporaries, should of course be the sole criterion. With this in mind, I’d like to draw your attention to several facts about Gil’s career that may have gone unnoticed or de-emphasized in past deliberations about his suitability for inclusion in the Hall, but which, I believe, make him an eminently worthy candidate.
1. From 1949 through 1957, Gil teamed up with Hall of Famer Duke Snider to be the key run producers on the team that dominated the National League for a decade. Over those 9 seasons, Gil led the team in RBI’s five times, Duke three times, and both tied for the lead once. Beginning in 1949, Gil batted in more than 100 runs for seven consecutive seasons, most often while batting relatively low down in the lineup, usually sixth, behind Duke, Jackie, and Campy. During the decade of the 1950’s (1950 – 1959), Gil’s 1,001 RBI’s was the second most of anyone in all of Major League Baseball, trailing Duke by only 30.
2. Gil batted in the two most important runs in the history of the Brooklyn Dodgers, when he produced the only runs scored by either team in the 7th game of the 1955 World Series.
3. During his days in Brooklyn, Gil was among the pre-eminent right-handed sluggers of the era. Ralph, everyone knows that you were the man, with a home run to at bat ratio second only to the Babe. Hank, you and Ernie Banks, Frank Robinson and others began to establish yourself as elite, right hand hitting sluggers as the 50’s progressed, and you would eventually take your rightful place as baseball’s all-time home run king, from either side of the plate. But, it was Gil, who became only the second National Leaguer, and second right handed hitter in modern baseball history (i.e. since 1900), to smash four home runs in a game, as he did in August, 1950. He remains the only player to do this feat while facing four different pitchers.
4. During the decade of the 1950’s, Gil’s 310 home runs ranks him second among all Major League players, trailing only the Duke, his left-handed hitting teammate, by 16. He was the most prolific right-handed hitting home run hitter of that decade.
5. Gil Hodges ended his active playing career during the first week of May, 1963. He failed to hit a home run in any of his 22 at bats for the Mets that season. He completed his career with a total of 370 home runs, edging you, Ralph, by one. By today’s standards, the total is unremarkable; it places Gil in 70th place on the all-time home run list. But, consider this extremely significant fact. On the day Gil retired, he was the #1 right-handed home run king in his league. No right-hand hitting slugger, in the 86 year history of the National League, had ever hit as many home runs as did Gil Hodges – not Rogers Hornsby, not Hack Wilson, not even Ralph Kiner.
6. Beyond Gil’s run-producing and power hitting credentials is the simple fact that he was considered by most to be among the elite defensive first basemen of his era. No right-handed first baseman made the 3-6-3 double play better than he did. His exceptional fielding talent wasn’t formally recognized until the Golden Glove award was introduced in 1957, when Gil won the first of three consecutive GG awards. Furthermore, it should not be overlooked that Gil’s defensive versatility was evident from the day in 1943 when he broke in to the majors as third baseman, and then proceeded to perform admirably at every other position, except pitcher center fielder, and shortstop.
7. What Gil accomplished when he turned the Mets into World Champions, only 1 ½ years after his first game as manager, speaks volumes. No one should minimize the impact that Gil’s character, leadership, and Branch Rickey-bred baseball acumen had on what had been a moribund team since its inception. It is also so fitting that it was Gil, who hit the very first home run in Mets’ history in April, 1962.
If nothing else impresses you sufficiently about Gil Hodges’ bona fides as a Hall of Famer, please re-read fact #5, above. Thank you for giving serious consideration to the points raised in this letter, as well as to Gil’s other qualifying credentials, not the least of which is that he was a winner with class! Thanks also to you Hall of Fame greats for providing so many great moments, thrills, and inspiration to us fans , since the end of World War II.
Sincerely yours,
Leonard T. Gries, Ph.D.
Psychologist and Baseball Fan
11/11/11; 11/10/14
Cc: Hank Aaron, Paul Beeston, Bill DeWitt, Roland Hemond, Dick Kaegel, Al Kaline, Ralph Kiner, Tommy Lasorda, Juan Marichal, Gene Michael, Jack O’Connell, Brooks Robinson, Al Rosen, Don Sutton, Dave Van Dyck, Billy Williams (2011).
Jim Bunning, Rod Carew, Pat Gillick, Ferguson Jenkins, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan, Ozzie Smith, Don Sutton, Jim Frey, David Glass, Phil Pepe, Tracy Ringold, Bob Watson, Roland Hemond, Steve Hirdt, Dick Kaegel (2014).
To illustrate, let’s take a look at the world of sport, wherein we as fans find ourselves passionately advocating, a.k.a. “rooting” for the player or team of our choice. Anyone who knew me during the early to mid-fifties, saw first- hand what a young, fanatic baseball enthusiast looked like. Sixty years later, I’m still rooting for the Brooklyn Dodgers. They are collectively etched in neuronal amber, preserved in all their glory as if they were still alive, and playing at Ebbets Field. A distinct advantage that I have over current day Yankee and Mets fans (although the Mets are my second favorite team), is the fact that my team hasn’t lost a game in 57 years. The following is a letter that I wrote three years ago in November, 2011, in my capacity as “client advocate”. My “client” was and remains one, Gilbert Ray Hodge (later Hodges), who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers very briefly during World War ll, before enlisting in the Marines, and then excelled for them, beginning in 1948 through 1957, after which the Brooklyn Dodgers ceased to exist outside of one’s reveries. It was and is my contention that Gil Hodges deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. What follows is my letter to the 16 members of the 2011 veteran’s committee who were charged with determining who was to be selected for this singular honor. Although I didn’t intend it, the letter is illustrative of a mix of objectivity and sentimentality. The factual accomplishments that I chose to highlight are indisputable. It is nevertheless possible that some members of the veteran’s committee may not have considered all the points made to have been terribly relevant. Then there is the effect of sentimentality (e.g. “… you simply could not be a Dodgers fan, without loving Gil Hodges;” “…he was a winner with class”). When I injected these comments, did I simultaneously lower some of my credibility? Perhaps so, as Gil fell a few votes shy of garnering the requisite 12 (75%) votes needed for enshrinement. But, who cares, Mrs. Joan Hodges called to tell me that she loved it, and that she wished she had selected me as her Psychologist years ago.
Now, three years later, Gil is once again up for consideration. The reconstructed veteran’s committee no longer contains such Hodges supporters as the late Ralph Kiner or Tommy LaSorda, seemingly lowering his chances. But, who knows? Perhaps some readers would like to take the ball and run with it. Tell your friends, call the sports shows, or get in touch with such committee members as Rod Carew, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan, and Ozzie Smith. Hone your advocacy skills and passion!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 11, 2011
Golden Era Veterans Committee
National Baseball Hall of Fame
25 Main Street
Cooperstown, N.Y. 13326
Gentlemen,
I am writing to you as a lifelong baseball fan and student of the game. Growing up on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, I was an avid fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers by the time I entered kindergarten. My earliest baseball memory is hearing from my first grade teacher , on the afternoon of October 3, 1951, that a man named Bobby Thomson hit a home run to beat the Dodgers, and win the pennant for the Giants. Rather than discourage me, this served to engender an even stronger emotional bond with the Bums. Beginning in June, 1952, and continuing through September, 1957, I attended many games at Ebbets Field. In most instances, that meant being driven straight up Bedford Avenue, along with my brother, Phil, in my father’s 1937 Dodge. About a mile and a half into the 4 mile trip, we’d pass by Gil Hodges’ home. Even as young kids, we were very much aware that Gil, a son of the Midwest, had become a full- fledged Brooklynite, once he married his beloved Joan. Of all the Dodgers, he was the one most identified as a local hero, even after Sandy Koufax joined the club as a teenager in 1955. Gil would show up at a Woolworth’s on Avenue U., to sign autographs and chat with us kids, or appear at the Bat-A-Way on Surf Avenue in Coney Island, where he’d blast shots over the elevated train platform in the distance, while we just stood there and gawked. If Jackie Robinson was the incredible dynamo and trailblazer, and Pee Wee Reese was the Captain and leader, and Duke Snider was the acrobatic, flamboyant, sometimes tempestuous superstar, it was Gil who was the quiet, humble, Gary Cooper style symbol of strength. You simply could not be a Brooklyn Dodgers fan without loving Gil.
I’m fully aware that in casting your votes for one or more of the 10 Hall of Fame candidates in this year’s Golden Era election, sentimentality, popularity, and even an individual’s character should not enter into your deliberations. One’s on the field performance, and his record of excellence, in comparison with his contemporaries, should of course be the sole criterion. With this in mind, I’d like to draw your attention to several facts about Gil’s career that may have gone unnoticed or de-emphasized in past deliberations about his suitability for inclusion in the Hall, but which, I believe, make him an eminently worthy candidate.
1. From 1949 through 1957, Gil teamed up with Hall of Famer Duke Snider to be the key run producers on the team that dominated the National League for a decade. Over those 9 seasons, Gil led the team in RBI’s five times, Duke three times, and both tied for the lead once. Beginning in 1949, Gil batted in more than 100 runs for seven consecutive seasons, most often while batting relatively low down in the lineup, usually sixth, behind Duke, Jackie, and Campy. During the decade of the 1950’s (1950 – 1959), Gil’s 1,001 RBI’s was the second most of anyone in all of Major League Baseball, trailing Duke by only 30.
2. Gil batted in the two most important runs in the history of the Brooklyn Dodgers, when he produced the only runs scored by either team in the 7th game of the 1955 World Series.
3. During his days in Brooklyn, Gil was among the pre-eminent right-handed sluggers of the era. Ralph, everyone knows that you were the man, with a home run to at bat ratio second only to the Babe. Hank, you and Ernie Banks, Frank Robinson and others began to establish yourself as elite, right hand hitting sluggers as the 50’s progressed, and you would eventually take your rightful place as baseball’s all-time home run king, from either side of the plate. But, it was Gil, who became only the second National Leaguer, and second right handed hitter in modern baseball history (i.e. since 1900), to smash four home runs in a game, as he did in August, 1950. He remains the only player to do this feat while facing four different pitchers.
4. During the decade of the 1950’s, Gil’s 310 home runs ranks him second among all Major League players, trailing only the Duke, his left-handed hitting teammate, by 16. He was the most prolific right-handed hitting home run hitter of that decade.
5. Gil Hodges ended his active playing career during the first week of May, 1963. He failed to hit a home run in any of his 22 at bats for the Mets that season. He completed his career with a total of 370 home runs, edging you, Ralph, by one. By today’s standards, the total is unremarkable; it places Gil in 70th place on the all-time home run list. But, consider this extremely significant fact. On the day Gil retired, he was the #1 right-handed home run king in his league. No right-hand hitting slugger, in the 86 year history of the National League, had ever hit as many home runs as did Gil Hodges – not Rogers Hornsby, not Hack Wilson, not even Ralph Kiner.
6. Beyond Gil’s run-producing and power hitting credentials is the simple fact that he was considered by most to be among the elite defensive first basemen of his era. No right-handed first baseman made the 3-6-3 double play better than he did. His exceptional fielding talent wasn’t formally recognized until the Golden Glove award was introduced in 1957, when Gil won the first of three consecutive GG awards. Furthermore, it should not be overlooked that Gil’s defensive versatility was evident from the day in 1943 when he broke in to the majors as third baseman, and then proceeded to perform admirably at every other position, except pitcher center fielder, and shortstop.
7. What Gil accomplished when he turned the Mets into World Champions, only 1 ½ years after his first game as manager, speaks volumes. No one should minimize the impact that Gil’s character, leadership, and Branch Rickey-bred baseball acumen had on what had been a moribund team since its inception. It is also so fitting that it was Gil, who hit the very first home run in Mets’ history in April, 1962.
If nothing else impresses you sufficiently about Gil Hodges’ bona fides as a Hall of Famer, please re-read fact #5, above. Thank you for giving serious consideration to the points raised in this letter, as well as to Gil’s other qualifying credentials, not the least of which is that he was a winner with class! Thanks also to you Hall of Fame greats for providing so many great moments, thrills, and inspiration to us fans , since the end of World War II.
Sincerely yours,
Leonard T. Gries, Ph.D.
Psychologist and Baseball Fan
11/11/11; 11/10/14
Cc: Hank Aaron, Paul Beeston, Bill DeWitt, Roland Hemond, Dick Kaegel, Al Kaline, Ralph Kiner, Tommy Lasorda, Juan Marichal, Gene Michael, Jack O’Connell, Brooks Robinson, Al Rosen, Don Sutton, Dave Van Dyck, Billy Williams (2011).
Jim Bunning, Rod Carew, Pat Gillick, Ferguson Jenkins, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan, Ozzie Smith, Don Sutton, Jim Frey, David Glass, Phil Pepe, Tracy Ringold, Bob Watson, Roland Hemond, Steve Hirdt, Dick Kaegel (2014).
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