Gil Hodges was a professional baseball player and manager who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1943 to 1961. He was an eight-time All-Star first baseman and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983. After his playing career, he managed the New York Mets to a World Series championship in 1969. His three-letter nickname, GIL, is the answer to the crossword puzzle clue BASEBALL'S HODGES.