Johnny Evers

The 'brainy' second baseman of Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance fame, a Hall of Famer and World Series champion.

via Wikipedia: Johnny Evers · see source

John Joseph Evers (July 21, 1881 – March 28, 1947) was an American professional baseball second baseman and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1902 through 1917 for the Chicago Cubs, Boston Braves, and Philadelphia Phillies. He also appeared in one game apiece for the Chicago White Sox and Braves while coaching them in 1922 and 1929, respectively.

Quick Facts

Position: Second baseman
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Born: 21 July 1881
Birthplace: Troy, New York, U.S.
Died: 28 March 1947
Place of death: Albany, New York, U.S.
Debut league: MLB

Lore & Background

Evers was born in Troy, New York. After playing for the local minor league team for one season, Frank Selee, manager of the Cubs, purchased Evers's contract and soon made him his starting second baseman. Evers helped lead the Cubs to four National League pennants, including two World Series championships. The Cubs traded Evers to the Braves in 1914; that season, Evers led the Braves to victory in the World Series, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player. Known as one of the smartest ballplayers in MLB, Evers also had a surly temper that he took out on umpires. Evers was a part of a great double-play combination with Joe Tinker and Frank Chance, which was immortalized as 'Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance' in the poem 'Baseball's Sad Lexicon'. Evers was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1946.

Reader's Guide

During the 1907 season, Evers led the NL with 500 assists. The correct fact from the source is that Evers led the NL in assists by a second baseman in 1904 with 518 assists.

Did You Know?

Evers weighed less than 100 lbs when he made his minor league debut, and reportedly never weighed more than 130 lbs during his career.
Evers alerted umpires to Fred Merkle's baserunning error in 1908, a play known as 'Merkle's Boner' that helped the Cubs win the pennant.
Evers won the Chalmers Award (forerunner of the MVP) in 1914 after leading the Braves to a World Series sweep.