Harold Morris "Gomer" Hodge (April 3, 1944 – May 13, 2007) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager.
Born in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, Hodge was signed by the Indians in 1963, and spent the next eight seasons in the minor leagues.
He then served as a manager and coach for teams in the Milwaukee Brewers, Montreal Expos, and Boston Red Sox organizations until his death in 2007.
[2] After being signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent in 1963, Hodge began his professional career with the Dubuque Packers.
In 120 games, he had a .231 batting average, eight triples, 13 stolen bases, and was named to the Eastern League All-Star Team as a third baseman.
During spring training, he was given an endorsement by Indians minor league manager Ray Hathaway, who said of him, "He has more hustle, desire, determination, and fan appeal than any player in our organization.
"[5] He survived the final day of roster cuts, and made his MLB debut on April 6, hitting a single off Mickey Lolich of the Detroit Tigers in the fifth inning and drove in a run.
Hodge replaced Leon in the field and came to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and runners on second and third, hitting a single and allowing both baserunners to score, giving the Indians the 3–2 win.
[8] He followed that up with another game-winning play, a sacrifice fly on April 28 to give the Indians a 3–2 win against the California Angels.