.247 batting average in 116 games. During a period in August of that year, Portland tried him out as a pinch hitter like Cleveland had done the year prior, and he had nine hits in 17 at bats for a .530 average during the experiment. Coaching career and later life After spending the winter in the Mexican League, Hodge was named to the Oklahoma City 89ers as a player-coach for the 1973 season. After serving as a coach for Oklahoma City in 1974 and the San Jose Bees in 1975, Hodge was named manager of the San Jose team for the 1976 season. The Bees went 45–95 that year, and Hodge was fired at season's end. In 1981, he was named manager of the Waterloo Indians. The team went 81–55 in his first season, and he was named Manager of the Year for the Midwest League. He served as manager for three more seasons, leading the team to records of 75–64, 76–64, and 65–74, then was named as the Indians' traveling minor league hitting instructor for the 1985 season. After serving one season in that role, Hodge was named manager of the Beloit Brewers, and served from 1986 to 1988, guiding the team to records of 70–69, 76–64, and 66–74. His last managerial role came in 1995, when he served as the manager for the West Palm Beach Expos, going 54–81 that season. During his time in the Expos organization, he served as a scout, and convinced the organization to sign Vladimir Guerrero. His last job in baseball was as a hitting coach for the Pawtucket Red Sox, and he served in that role through 2001. Hodge died on May 13, 2007 from Lou Gehrig's Disease, and was survived by his wife, Linda, and two children. References External links 1944 births 2007 deaths Major League Baseball infielders Cleveland Indians players Pawtucket Indians players Waterbury Indians players Salinas Indians players Burlington Indians players (1958–1964) Savannah Indians players Dubuque Packers players San Jose Bees players Portland Beavers players Oklahoma City 89ers players Baseball players from North Carolina Neurological disease deaths in North Carolina Deaths from motor neuron disease People from Rutherfordton, North Carolina