7. The bridge is the first to be named after a major sports figure
In 1978, the Marine Parkway Bridge adopted a hyphenated name in honor of baseball legend Gil Hodges. The athlete started his baseball career as a Brooklyn Dodger on third base. During World War II, he was forced to put baseball aside and join the United States Navy in Japan. Hodges received the honorable bronze star, which is granted to those in the United States Armed Forces who achieve heroism or meritorious achievement in combat.
When Hodges came back from war, he returned to the Brooklyn Dodgers as the first baseman. Hodges moved to Los Angeles when the team switched cities in 1958. He played with the team until 1961. Later, he managed the New York Mets for three years. The renaming of the Marine Parkway bridge marked the first time a bridge was named after a major sports figure.
