A year after he became the first official to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Art McNally passed away at 97.

You cannot tell the story of officiating without the name of Art McNally.  Considered to be the “Father of Modern Officiating”, McNally began his NFL career in 1959 as a field judge, and would be a referee from 1960 to 1968.  Afterward, McNally would become the supervisor of officials, and he modernized the role through extensive training.  In 1986, McNally brought in instant replay, and helped to bring modern technology to the role.  McNally, was a consultant up until seven years ago.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, friends and family of Art McNally.

Gil Hodges was one of the most popular players in Dodgers history, an incredible feat considering the talent and characters that graced the team.

After appearing in one Game in 1943, Hodges entered the American Military, losing two years to due service.  He returned in 1947, the same year as Jackie Robinson, and they were part of a young team on the rise.  Originally a Catcher, Hodges was moved to First Base and was one of the team's power hitters throughout the 1950s.

Hodges began a seven-year streak of All-Star Games in 1949, and from 1949 to 1959, he was a perennial 20 Home Run player, with a pair of two 40 Home Run years (1951 & 1954).  He drove in at least 100 Runs in that seven-year streak of All-Stars, and while he never finished higher than seventh in MVP voting, he had nine years where he received voted for the highest individual award in the National League.

The Brooklyn fans loved Hodges, and he loved them back.  The Dodgers had been good for a while but had been unable to win the World Series, but it changed in 1955.  While Hodges was beginning to decline and had a poor first three Games in the World Series, his bat came alive, and he fittingly had the series-winning RBI and ended the game defensively with an out.  This was the only World Series win for the Dodgers in Brooklyn, and many fans were happiest for Hodges.

Hodges still hit Home Runs for the club and was a veteran presence helping the Dodgers reach the 1956 and 1959 World Series, winning the latter, with that coming in Los Angeles.  Hodges returned to New York when they took him in the 1962 Expansion Draft, and he left the Dodgers with 361 Home Runs, 1,254 RBI, 1,884 Hits, and an OPS of .847.

After receiving the most votes of any former player not to be elected, Hodges was chosen by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022 by the Veteran’s Committee.   The Dodgers responded by retiring his number 14.

It was a long time coming, especially considering he had over 50 percent of the ballot for 11 of his 15 years.

In 1966, a 21-year-old rookie named Don Sutton joined a rotation that already featured the legendary duo of Koufax and Drysdale. While he lacked the overwhelming velocity of his peers, he possessed a cerebral approach and a durable arm that would anchor the staff for a decade and a half.

Debuting just two years after signing, he secured a spot in the rotation and proved he belonged by navigating his rookie season with double-digit wins and a stellar strikeout rate. He remained a professional mainstay throughout the late sixties, beginning a remarkable streak in which he recorded at least 15 victories over eight consecutive seasons from 1969 to 1976. This steady accumulation of quality starts made him the rotation's most dependable weapon, ensuring the Dodgers remained competitive during the post-Koufax transition.

During the mid-1970s, Sutton established himself as one of the premier right-handers in the National League. Between 1972 and 1976, he was a perennial fixture in the Cy Young race, consistently finishing in the top five of the voting. He showcased a mastery of the strike zone during this peak, twice leading the league in WHIP and once in strikeout-to-walk ratio. While he was often categorized as a "steady hand" rather than a flashy superstar, his ability to suppress baserunners and provide over 250 innings a year was the engine behind the Dodgers' multiple pennant runs.

His tenure featured a late-career masterpiece in 1980, a season that served as his final punctuation mark in Los Angeles. At age 35, he demonstrated he still possessed elite efficiency by capturing his first National League ERA title with a 2.21 mark. He remained a high-quality starter until his final day with the club, providing a veteran presence for a new generation of arms before departing for Houston as a free agent. The statistical footprint he left behind remains staggering; as of this writing, he still stands as the all-time franchise leader in wins (233), innings pitched (3,816.1), strikeouts (2,696), and shutouts (52).

Sutton was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Dodgers followed their longstanding tradition by retiring his number 20 that same year.

Zack Wheat arrived in Brooklyn in 1909, a graceful left-hander whose swing was described as "poetry in motion" during an era of the game that was anything but. While the franchise cycled through names like the Superbas, the Robins, and finally the Dodgers, Wheat remained the one constant, a quiet professional who anchored left field for nearly two decades.

The opening chapter of his career really showed how well he adapted to the "Small Ball" style of the Deadball Era. Wheat showed a special talent for hitting the ball into the gaps, quickly becoming a key player known for his high batting average, even when the ball was difficult to hit. By 1912, he had already set a strong performance standard, regularly ranking among the league leaders in hits and triples.

In the mid-1910s, he helped Brooklyn win the 1916 National League Pennant with standout stats, leading in Total Bases (276) and Slugging Percentage (.461), impressive for the era. In 1918, he won the National League Batting Title with a .335 average, showing he could carry a lineup. Despite a modest frame, he used a 40-ounce bat and a "corkscrew" swing to generate high bat speed, making him one of the most feared hitters of his generation.

His Brooklyn years marked a second act during the 1920s "Lively Ball’ era. While many faded, Wheat improved, maintaining a .347 average from 1920-1925, with three 200-hit seasons. He was a key left fielder, leading the NL in putouts seven times and setting franchise records in hits (2,804), doubles (464), and triples (171).

Following the 1926 season, the conclusion of a legendary tenure was marked by a period of relative quiet. At the age of 38, Wheat was released by the Dodgers and subsequently signed with the Philadelphia Athletics, where he dedicated one final outstanding year, batting .324 in a part-time capacity alongside distinguished contemporaries Ty Cobb and Eddie Collins. He concluded his career with a total of 2,884 hits and a lifetime batting average of .317.

Wheat entered the Baseball Hall of Fame via the Veterans Committee.