Catholic Athletes for Christ
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    CAC, Spirit Juice Studios Release New Film on Legendary Dodgers Player and Mets Skipper Gil Hodges

    November 8, 2021, 10:44 am

    Why is Major League Baseball legend Gil Hodges not in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.? That is the question posed by “Soul of a Champion: The Gil Hodges Story,” a new documentary produced by Spirit Juice Studios in association with Catholic Athletes for Christ.

    With a deep dive into his career highlights including World Series victories with three teams as a player and manager, his impressive offensive and defensive statistics and awards, and his personal life as a husband, father, military veteran, and devout Catholic, the film makes the case that Gil Hodges is more than deserving of joining his peers in the Baseball Hall of Fame for both his on-field prowess and his off-field example of leadership, character, and integrity. Despite numerous articles, sportswriters, and baseball experts calling for his enshrinement, Hodges has been repeatedly overlooked.

    “Gil Hodges has another shot at the Hall of Fame in early December on the ‘Golden Days Era’ ballot,” said Kevin O’Malley, Catholic Athletes for Christ’s MLB coordinator and one of the film’s producers. “It is our hope that this documentary will give viewers the opportunity to reexamine his credentials, both on and off the field, so that he will finally take his rightful place among his contemporaries in Cooperstown.”

    Viewers and fans are invited to join a social media campaign associated with the documentary to bring attention to this important Hall of Fame vote by showing their support for Gil Hodges and tagging their posts with #GilHodgesHOF. Suggested text for social media posts, photos, and GIFs are available for download at www.gilhodgesfilm.com.

    “Gil was a tremendous baseball player who clearly deserves to be in the Hall of Fame,” said Ray McKenna, president of Catholic Athletes for Christ. “But he was also a phenomenal human being who served God, his family, and his country with a quiet humility that made an impression on everyone who knew him. Hodges is the kind of athlete who should be held up as a hero and example to our children for the way he played the game and lived his life.”

    Currently streaming online at www.gilhodgesfilm.com, the 30-minute film features interviews with baseball luminaries including longtime Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully, Dodgers legendary manager Tommy Lasorda, and several members of the 1969 New York “Miracle Mets” including Art Shamsky, Ed Kranepool, Cleon Jones, and Ron Swoboda.

    The film is directed by Emmy Award winners David Naglieri and Rob Kaczmark.

    “It has been an honor to work with these legends of the baseball world to produce this compelling story,” said Rob Kaczmark, Spirit Juice Studios CEO. “Gil Hodges was loved and respected by so many people, and I hope viewers of this documentary will come away with a better understanding of his positive impact on both the history of baseball and the people he encountered throughout his life.”

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