45 Facts About Johnny Evers

1.

John Joseph Evers was an American professional baseball second baseman and manager.

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2.

Johnny Evers played in Major League Baseball from 1902 through 1917 for the Chicago Cubs, Boston Braves, and Philadelphia Phillies.

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3.

Johnny Evers appeared in one game apiece for the Chicago White Sox and Braves while coaching them in 1922 and 1929, respectively.

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4.

Johnny Evers helped lead the Cubs to four National League pennants, including two World Series championships.

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5.

Johnny Evers continued to play for the Braves and Phillies through 1917.

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6.

Johnny Evers then became a coach, scout, manager, and general manager in his later career.

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7.

Johnny Evers was a part of a great double-play combination with Joe Tinker and Frank Chance, which was immortalized as "Tinker-to-Johnny Evers-to-Chance" in the poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon".

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8.

Johnny Evers was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1946.

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9.

Johnny Evers was born on July 21,1881, in Troy, New York.

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10.

Many of Johnny Evers' relatives, including his father, brothers, and uncles, played baseball.

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11.

Johnny Evers attended St Joseph's Elementary School and played sandlot ball in Troy.

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12.

Johnny Evers made his professional debut in minor league baseball for the Troy Trojans of the Class-B New York State League in 1902 as a shortstop.

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13.

Johnny Evers reportedly weighed less than 100 pounds, and opposing fans thought he was a part of a comedic act.

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14.

Johnny Evers reportedly weighed no more than 130 pounds during his career.

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15.

Johnny Evers called for the ball, and the umpire ruled Merkle out.

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16.

Johnny Evers drew 108 walks during the 1910 season, trailing only Miller Huggins.

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17.

Johnny Evers agreed to manage the Navy Midshipmen, a college baseball team, in 1911, despite the opposition of Cubs' manager Frank Chance.

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18.

Johnny Evers experienced a nervous breakdown in 1911; returning to the Cubs later in the season, he played in only 46 games that year.

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19.

Johnny Evers indicated that this was a result of a business deal that cost Johnny Evers most of his savings.

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20.

In February 1914, after Johnny Evers signed his players to contracts, Murphy fired Johnny Evers as manager and traded him to the Boston Braves for Bill Sweeney and Hub Perdue.

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21.

Johnny Evers insisted he was a free agent, but the league assigned him to the Braves.

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22.

Johnny Evers signed a four-year contract at $10,000 per season, with a $20,000 signing bonus.

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23.

Johnny Evers won the Chalmers Award, the forerunner of the modern-day Most Valuable Player award, ahead of teammate Rabbit Maranville.

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24.

Johnny Evers was limited in 1915 by injuries, and served suspension for arguing with umpires.

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25.

Johnny Evers rejected an offer to become manager of the Jersey City Skeeters of the International League that offseason.

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26.

Johnny Evers signed with the Boston Red Sox as a player-coach for the 1918 season, but was released without playing a game for them.

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27.

Not receiving another offer from an MLB team, Johnny Evers traveled to Paris as a member of the Knights of Columbus to promote baseball in France.

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28.

In 1920, Johnny Evers was slated to become head baseball coach at Boston College, however he instead accepted a last minute offer to join the New York Giants as a coach.

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29.

Johnny Evers managed the Cubs again in 1921, succeeding Fred Mitchell.

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30.

Johnny Evers served as a coach for the Chicago White Sox in 1922 and 1923.

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31.

Johnny Evers returned to second base in 1922, filling in for an injured Eddie Collins.

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32.

Johnny Evers played in one game for the White Sox as Collins recovered.

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33.

Johnny Evers was named the White Sox acting manager for the 1924 season, succeeding Chance, who was ordered home due to poor health.

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34.

Fuchs had no experience as a field manager, and so Johnny Evers became captain of the Braves, directing the team during the game and dealing with umpires.

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35.

Johnny Evers remained a coach for the Braves under Bill McKechnie, who succeeded Fuchs as field manager in 1930, and served in the role through 1932.

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36.

Johnny Evers continued to scout for the Braves, and then became general manager of the Albany Senators of the New York–Pennsylvania League in 1935.

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37.

When his son was 11 years old, Johnny Evers bought part of the Albany Senators and gave him the stock.

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38.

Johnny Evers operated a sporting goods store in Albany, New York in 1923.

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39.

Johnny Evers worked as superintendent of Bleecker Stadium in Albany and spent time teaching baseball to sandlot players.

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40.

Johnny Evers suffered a stroke in August 1942, which paralyzed the right side of his body.

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41.

Johnny Evers remained bedridden or confined to a wheelchair for most of the next five years.

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42.

Johnny Evers died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1947 at St Peter's Hospital in Albany, and is buried in Saint Mary's Cemetery in Troy.

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43.

Johnny Evers frequently argued with umpires and received numerous suspensions during his career.

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44.

Johnny Evers served as the pivot man in the "Tinker-to-Johnny Evers-to-Chance" double-play combination, which inspired the classic baseball poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon", written by New York Evening Mail newspaper columnist Franklin Pierce Adams in July 1910.

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45.

Johnny Evers is mentioned in the 1949 poem "Line-Up for Yesterday" by Ogden Nash:.

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