Johnny Evers
Little Johnny Evers may have been the best player of the famed Cubs infield trio, all of whom eventually made it into the Hall of Fame. The puny second baseman drove in the winning run in both the 1907 and 1908 World Series, and played critical roles in to of the greatest pennant races in baseball history. He was nicknamed "The Crab" for the way he covered the infield from his second base position.
Quotes About Evers
"He'd make you want to punch him, but you knew Johnny was thinking only of the team." — teammate Rabbit Maranville
Played For
Chicago Cubs (1902-1913)
Boston Braves (1914-1917)
Philadelphia Phillies (1917)
Chicago White Sox (1922)
Boston Braves (1929)
Managed
Chicago Cubs (1913-1921)
Chicago White Sox (1924-1924)
All-Time Rankings
Johnny Evers ranks #20 among the Top 50 all-time at 2B. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1912
Evers set a career high with his .341 batting average - 71 points above his eventual career average. He also set career marks for hits, triples, RBI, slugging, and OBP.
Factoids
According to one source, the first double play ever turned by Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance, came about due to some luck. A grounder was hit to the left of shortstop Tinker and he missed it with his glove, but it bounced of his shoe and caromed to second baseman Evers, who tagged the bag and fired to Chance for the completion of the double play.
Born
John Joseph Evers was born on July 21, 1881, in Troy, NY.
Died
March 28, 1947, Albany, NY
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Primary Position: 2B
Primary Team: CHN
Major League Debut
September 1, 1902
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1902
Joe Tinker
Johnny Evers
Red Dooin
Patsy Dougherty
Tom Jones
Heinie Wagner
George Mullin
Addie Joss
Homer Smoot
Nicknames
The Crab, Trojan
Similar Players
Claude Ritchey
Related Players
Joe Tinker, Frank Chance, and Rabbit Maranville
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1936 |
BBWAA |
6 |
2.7% |
1937 |
BBWAA |
44 |
21.9% |
1938 |
BBWAA |
91 |
34.7% |
1939 |
BBWAA |
107 |
39.1% |
1942 |
BBWAA |
91 |
39.1% |
1945 |
BBWAA |
134 |
54.3% |
1946 |
BBWAA |
110 |
41.8% |
1946 |
Nominating Vote |
130 |
64.4% |
1946 |
Old Timers |
|
% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1906 World Series
1907 World Series
1908 World Series
1914 World Series
Post-Season Notes
After struggling against the White Sox' pitching staff in the '06 Series loss, Evers ripped 21 hits in his next 14 Fall Classic games, in which his teams went 12-1-1. In 1907, Evers batted .350 with two doubles and two steals against Detroit. He followed that with a .350 performance in '08 against the Bengals, scoring five runs and stealing two more bases. In 1914, as a member of the Boston Braves, he batted .437 (7-for-16) with two RBI, two runs scored, two walks, and a steal in the sweep. He was the first player to win three World Series rings.
Awards and Honors
1914 NL MVP
Notes
Due in large part to the poem that immortalized the Cub double play trio of Tinker, Evers, and Chance, the three were elected to the Hall of Fame in 1946. Evers was the only living member of the trio, and he died six months later. It's become part of lore that Evers and Tinker refused to speak to each other decades, over a dispute about a cab fare. That was true, and the pair didn't reconcile until the 1930s.
Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
Prior to the 1911 season, Evers suffered a nervous breakdown, and played just 44 games that year for the Cubs. In a few other seasons, the high-strung Evers was shelved with bouts of hypertension.
Learn More about Johnny Evers
Search Amazon.com for Books about Johnny Evers ⇒
Search for Johnny Evers at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
