The Press-Dispatch
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HODGES Continued from page 1 READER GUIDE Subscriptions: Change of address: subscribers changing addresses will please give old address as well as new one along with phone number. We cannot guarantee prompt change unless this is done. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Press-Dispatch., P.O. Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 or e-mail to subscribe@ pressdispatch.net. Subscription rates: One year: $35 for Pike County and all 475/476 zip codes; $38 in the state of Indiana; $55 elsewhere in the USA. Paid in advance. Subscriptions taken after noon on Friday will not receive a paper until the second edition after their subscription date. About us: Andy Heuring and John B. Heuring, Publishers Andy Heuring, Editor John B. Heuring, Adv. Mgr. Eric Gogel, Production Mgr. Monica Sinclair, Office Mgr. Cindy Petty, Adv. Sales Pam Lemond, Adv. Sales Brakston Farrar, Adv. Designer Matthew Haycraft, Sports • • • Published every Wednesday by the Pike County Publishing Co. Phone: 812-354-8500 820 E. Poplar St., P.O. Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 • • • Entered in the Post Office in Petersburg, Indiana for transmission through the mails as Periodical Mail, postage paid at Petersburg, In- diana – published weekly. (USPS 205-620) Contact us: Phone: ....................................................................... 812-354-8500 Fax: ........................................................................... 812-354-2014 Andy Heuring, Editor editor@pressdispatch.net Advertising ads@pressdispatch.net General News news@pressdispatch.net Circulation subscribe@pressdispatch.net SOMETHING NEWSWORTHY? Let us know at 812-354-8500! The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, December 8, 2021 A-3 LOCAL Call: 812-354-8500 Email: news@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg 716 Main St. Petersburg • 812-354-9372 /margeshallmark HOLIDAY HOURS: Monday-Saturday 9-6 SATURDAY ONLY CHRISTMAS HALLMARK specials Santa Claus 2021 Keepsake Special Edition Ornament Specials throughout the store Hallmark 3-Wick Candles Hallmark Holiday Basket Only $ 9 99 Receive 20% OFF EVERYTHING that fits inside Regular $29.99 Limited Supply! Dec. 11 BUY ONE GET ONE FREE Wide Selection o f Leather Sofas & Chairs •Dining Room •Bedroom •Living Room •Mattresses FURNITURE HOME COMFORT CENTERS Corner of 231 & Division, JASPER 812-482-2246 105 N JFK Avenue, LOOGOOTEE 812-295-5444 OPEN: Mon., Tues., Thurs. 9-5:30; Wed. & Fri. 9-7; Sat. 9-3; Sunday closed www.ENGLERTSHOMECOMFORTCENTER.com Wide Selection o f Leather Sofas & Chairs •Dining Room •Bedroom •Living Room •Mattresses FURNITURE Quality Installation and Service on Everything We Sell! APPLIANCES Corner of 231 & Division, Jasper • 812-482-2246 OPEN: Mon., Tues., Thurs. 9-5:30; Wed. & Fri. 9-7; Sat. 9-3 EnglertsHomeComfortCenter.com HOME COMFORT CENTER Holidays for the See the experts at Englerts! NEWS BRIEFS Bell ringers needed Friday and Saturday The Salvation Army needs volunteers to ring bells this weekend. Bell ringing chairman Cal Biddle said there are a few spots open at each location this weekend. The Red Kettle campaign is the biggest fundraising event of the year for the Salvation Army. The times open at the Dollar General in Petersburg on Friday are noon, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. Openings at Petersburg Hardware are 10 a.m. on Fri- day and 8 a.m. on Saturday. Call Cal Biddle at 812-582-2385 if you can help this week- end or next. Blood drive January 19 at Petersburg Library The Pike County Library is partnering with the Amer- ican Red Cross to host a blood drive on Wednesday, Jan- uary 19 at the Petersburg Branch Library, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for ages 16 and up. To make an appointment, call Carly Tegmeyer at 812-354-6257 or make an appoint- ment online at www.redcrossblood.org/give. Time to register for Birthday Club If you haven't submitted your birthday within the last 6 months, please register again at www.pressdispatch.net/ birthday. Entrants have a chance to win monthly prizes from local businesses and a three-month subscription to paper. Upcoming event? We want to know! Do you have an upcoming event? Send it to news@press- dispatch.net. MARRIAGE LICENSES Jamen Lee Russell, 35, of 1711 E. Logtown Rd., Winslow, son of Ronald G. Russell and Lori L. Ross, to Audrey Lynn Turpen, 37, of 458 W. CR 150 S., Petersburg, daughter of Norman Turpen and Sherry Willis. en, of St. Louis. Golden grew up in Brooklyn and was a big Dodgers fan. "It is a big deal and very exciting," said Gold- en of Hodges making it into the Hall Fame. "There were five Hall of Famers on those teams: Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Jack- ie Robinson and now Hodges completes it," said Golden. In 1962, Hodges moved to the New York Mets. He retired after the 1962 season and became the man- ager of the Washington Na- tionals through 1967, when he was named manager of the New York Mets. In 1969, he managed the "Miracle Mets" to a World Se- ries Championship as they beat the highly-favored Balti- more Orioles. It was his third World Series Championship. He won as a player, playing first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955. He drove in both of the Dodgers' runs in game seven as they beat the Yankees 2-0. Over his career, Hodges had 1,921 hits, 1,271 RBIs and scored 1,105 runs. He also was a great fielding first basemen. He won the Golden Glove Award for first basemen the first three years the award was given. Harris, of Randy's Ameri- cana, has been a huge fan of Hodges since he was a young boy. Harris, who grew up on Evansville's west side, said as a young boy he would go to the barbershop in the Executive Inn. While there, Gil's broth- er, Bob Hodges, who was a close friend of Harris' barber, would often be in the shop. "They would be telling Gil Hodges stories." Harris said later in life, when he moved to Petersburg, he would hang out in Bob King's barbershop. King was a classmate of Hodg- es and he would also tell Gil Hodges stories. "When I got up here, I heard a lot of similar stories," said Harris. He became a fan and started trying to help the ef- fort to get Hodges into the Hall of Fame. When writers or producers who wanted to talk to people who knew Hodg- es came to town they looked up Harris and he took them around town to meet people who knew Hodges. Just recently, Harris took Kevin O'Malley around Pike and Gibson counties to see the area and talk with people. O'Malley produced the docu- mentary Soul of A Champion, The Gil Hodges Story. Harris said he recently talk- ed with Carl Erskine, an Indi- ana native who played on the Dodgers with Hodges. Harris said Erskine praised Hodges for being a team lead- er and being much more than just a good first basemen. Jackie Robinson, the first black player in Major League Baseball, was a teammate. Erskine credited Hodges with helping Robinson be ac- cepted and preventing prob- lems. Erskine told Harris Hodges was a big presence and personality at first base, with Robinson playing sec- ond base. He said Hodges be- ing at first helped keep things calmed down and kept them form growing into an incident. Harris said he also talked with Gil Hodges, Jr. about his father and Robinson. Hodges, Jr., told Harris on the day of his father's funer- al, Howard Cosell, who was a family friend and lived nearby the Hodges in Brooklyn, came to him and took him outside. Cosell had Robinson in his car. Robinson was crying and an emotional mess. Hodges, Jr. said Robinson told him, other than the day his son died, this was the "worst day of his life." Harris also shared a story Howard Bricoe told him. He said Howard and some oth- er young boys were walking down the street and they had just learned to cuss. Hodg- es was a few years older and heard them. Hodges walked over and told them, "there's no reason to talk like that." Briscoe said they realized he was right. Petersburg City Council- man John Melhiser, in Mon- day night's city council meet- ing, said he used to deliv- er papers in town and Hodg- es' boyhood home was on his route. When Hodges was back in town visiting, Mel- hiser said he would be stand- ing on the porch and tell Mel- hiser to come over. Melhiser said Hodges would give him a quarter and have nice things to say to him. "Gil Hodges truly was, from everything I heard and every- thing I've read, a man with great integrity," said Mort Zachter, author of Gil Hodges: A Hall of Fame Life. He added, "By any objective standard, he should be in the Hall of Fame." A phrase that has been ut- tered for nearly 50 years by fans of baseball and of Hodg- es no longer applies, because he is now in the Hall of Fame. "It means so much to Pe- tersburg, Pike County and Gibson County. Almost all of his peers are gone, but it would have been a great thing if they could have been here to see it," said Harris. Willis clan with Santa The Willis clan visited with Santa and got their pictures taken with him on Saturday at the Lunch with Santa. Above are, (l to r): Turner Barrett, Paisley Willis, Gardner Willis, Kip Willis, Avelynn Willis, Vivi Willis, Grady Barrett and Lainey Belle Willis.