Gil Hodges was a professional baseball player and manager who managed the Miracle Mets in 1969. He was born in Indiana in 1924 and played first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1943 to 1961. He was an eight-time All-Star and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983. After his playing career, he managed the Washington Senators and the New York Mets. In 1969, he led the Mets to their first World Series title, earning him the nickname 'The Miracle Manager'.