Former Mets catcher Ron Hodges dies after brief illness, hospital stay

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Former Major League Baseball star Ron Hodges has passed away, a New York Mets spokesperson announced Friday. He was 74.

Hodges spent his entire big league career with the Mets. Team officials confirmed that Hodges died at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital after a short illness. New York selected Hodges in the second round of the 1972 amateur draft. During just his second season as a professional baseball player, he was promoted to the major leagues. He made his MLB debut in 1973.

Hodges finished his big league career with a .240 batting average, 19 home runs and 147 RBIs. His career spanned 12 years, with his career coming to a close in 1984.

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Ron Hodges, #42 of the New York Mets poses, for a photo prior to a National League game at Shea Stadium on an unknown date in the Queens borough of New York City. (Louis Requena/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Hodges was born in Rocky Mount, Virginia. He attended Franklin County High School, before later going to Appalachian State.

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Hodges was brought up to the Mets from Double-A Memphis in 1973 because of injuries to Jerry Grote and Duffy Dyer. Hodges made his debut June 13, 1973, nine days shy of his 24th birthday, catching Tom Seaver's complete game win over the San Francisco Giants.

He batted .260 with one home run and 18 RBIs in his rookie season, hitting a 13th-inning walk-off single against National League East-leading Pittsburgh on September 20.

Mets' Ron Hodges, Mike Jorgensen and Doug Sisk. (Dan Farrell/NY Daily News Via Getty Images)

In the top of the inning with a runner