Card Statistics
Gil Hodges is presented in Helmar’s T4 series with Brooklyn in a classic right-handed batting stance, his knees flexed and the bat held high as he waits for the pitch. The cream Dodgers uniform, blue cap, blue undersleeve, blue stockings, and bold red number 14 give the figure a strong Brooklyn identity. Hodges’s sturdy build and compact stance convey the power for which he was known, while his focused expression gives the image a convincing sense of concentration before the swing.
The original artwork was painted by Natalia Valiukavich in watercolor. She develops the pale uniform with warm cream, gray, ochre, and muted blue washes, using deeper folds around the waist and trousers to give the figure solidity. The saturated Dodger blue of the cap, sleeve, and stockings provides the principal color contrast, while the red number on the jersey introduces a strong central accent. Particularly effective is the batting-cage setting: the dark overhead structure, intersecting supports, and layers of netting create a complex geometric background that stands in contrast to the comparatively simple treatment of Hodges himself.
Gilbert Ray Hodges was one of the most important players on the great Brooklyn Dodgers clubs of the 1950s. A powerful right-handed hitter and outstanding defensive first baseman, he combined home-run production with unusual agility around the bag. Hodges became a fixture in the Brooklyn lineup alongside Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, and Roy Campanella, helping form the nucleus of one of baseball’s most celebrated teams.
Hodges was an eight-time All-Star and won three Gold Gloves. He hit 370 home runs during his major-league career and drove in more than 100 runs in seven consecutive seasons from 1949 through 1955. He appeared in seven World Series as a player and helped Brooklyn capture its long-awaited championship in 1955. His baseball career later took on a second distinguished chapter as a manager, when he guided the New York Mets to their remarkable 1969 World Series championship.
Numbered #11, the Hodges card gives the Helmar T4 series a particularly distinctive Brooklyn composition. The enclosed batting-cage setting, strong diagonal bat, and dark framework surrounding the cream-and-blue figure create an unusually graphic image, while Hodges’s central role with the championship-era Dodgers and later success managing the 1969 Mets give card #11 considerable historical importance. Hodges was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.
Original watercolor artwork by Natalia Valiukavich.
- Description: In batting cage, side view
- Team: Brooklyn Dodgers
- Population (# Sold): 18
- First Date Sold: 2022-07-05
- Latest Date Sold: 2026-06-16
- Card Status: Active
- # Sold in past year: 3
- Highest Auction: $ 56.55
- Average Auction Result: $ 25.69
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Visit these teammates on the Brooklyn Dodgers in the Helmar T4 series
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