Mets trade for Hodges launched title run

The New York Mets wanted Gil Hodges to be their manager in the fall of 1967, and Hodges wanted to return home to New York City. But with Hodges still obligated to the Washington Senators, there was work to be done before all parties involved were happy.

On Nov. 27, 1967, the haggling came to an end when the Mets sent pitcher Bill Denehy and $100,000 to the Senators for the man who would manage the Mets to a World Series win less than two years later.

The saga began on Oct. 11 – the same day as Game 6 of the Cardinals vs. Red Sox World Series matchup – as Hodges announced that he was resigning after five years as Washington’s manager to take over the Mets, who had an open position after Wes Westrum resigned near the end of the season. Hodges, the longtime Dodgers first baseman, had lived in Brooklyn since 1948 and was anxious to return home to be with his family.

But Hodges still had a year remaining on his contract with the Senators. When the Mets let it be known they were interested in hiring Hodges as their manager, Hodges and the Mets asked Washington general manager George Selkirk for permission to discuss the job.

“The most important factor in my decision was that I’ll be coming home,” Hodges told the Associated Press hours before St. Louis and Boston met in Game 6. “It was quite a decision to make. My association with the Washington ballclub was wonderful at all times.”

The Mets had initially expressed interest in Hodges when Casey Stengel stepped down as manager in 1965. Hodges had played his last two seasons in the big leagues with the Mets before taking over as the Senators manager during the 1963 season. He had never had a winning record in Washington, but many baseball executives felt he was the right choice for the job in New York.

Eventually, the Senators agreed to accept Denehy and $100,000 in exchange for Hodges. But interleague trades were only possible with waivers prior to the annual Winter Meetings, and Denehy – a top pitching prospect – was claimed by several teams. So when the Winter Meetings opened on Nov. 27 in Mexico City, the Mets immediately made two moves: Acquiring catcher J.C. Martin from the White Sox to complete an earlier trade that sent Ken Boyer to Chicago and shipping Denehy and the cash to the Senators for Hodges.

Hodges had already agreed to a three-year deal with the Mets worth a reported $60,000 per season, meaning the Mets had almost $300,000 invested in their new manager.

Hodges called the deal “the best contract I’ve ever had in baseball.” It proved to be a bargain as Hodges led the Mets to the 1969 World Series title. Denehy, meanwhile, pitched in just three games for the Senators in 1968 and was done as a player by 1974.

Hodges managed the Mets for four seasons before passing away on the eve of the 1972 season. He finished his managerial career with a nine-year record of 660-753 on the heels of an 18-year playing career that featured 370 home runs, eight All-Star Game selections, three Gold Glove Awards and two World Series titles.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.

Craig Muder is the director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum