Hoot Evers
Encyclopedia
Walter Arthur "Hoot" Evers (February 8, 1921 – January 25, 1991) was an outfielder
in Major League Baseball
who played twelve seasons in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers
, Boston Red Sox
(-), New York Giants
, Baltimore Orioles
, and Cleveland Indians
(-).
in 1921, Evers gained the nickname "Hoot" as a child when he was a devoted fan of the films of Richard “Hoot” Gibson
, a popular cowboy who released nearly 75 short films during the first 10 years of Evers’ life. http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/this-annotated-week-in-baseball-history-feb-5-11-1921/
Evers attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
where he was a star baseball player. He is still among the school's all-time leaders in triples. http://www.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ill/sports/m-basebl/auto_pdf/TheRecordBook Evers was signed by the Detroit Tigers
as an amateur free agent in 1941 and was considered one of the brightest prospects in baseball. After playing one major league game on September 16, 1941, Evers' baseball career was put on hold while he served four years in the military during World War II.
Evers returned to the Tigers in 1946, playing 76 games in center field, but missing half the season with a broken ankle.
Evers' career peaked in the three years from 1948–1950, hitting over .300 all three years and batting in over 100 runs in 1948 and 1950.
Evers' best season was 1950 when he led the American League in triples (11) and was among the American League leaders in most batting categorird. That year, he had a .551 slugging percentage (3rd in the AL behind Joe DiMaggio
), 34 doubles (4th in the AL), .959 OPS (4th in the AL), 67 extra base hits (6th in the AL), .323 batting average (7th in the AL), 109 RBIs (9th in the AL), 259 total bases (9th in the AL), and .408 on base percentage (10th in the AL). Evers also hit for the cycle on September 7, 1950.
Evers was also a solid fielder, leading all American League outfielders in fielding percentage (.997) in 1950 with one error in over 325 chances. With strong performances in the field and at the bat, Evers finished No. 11 in the 1950 American League MVP voting.
When Evers came to the plate in Detroit, Tigers fans would rise to their feet and yell "Ho-o-o-o-t," "Ho-o-o-o-t." A story in the 1951 edition of "Who's Who" said the following about Evers: "The blond that Detroit fans prefer, fielded .997 last season, hit .323 - to raise his popularity rating even higher. Come on Ho-o-o-o-t!" http://www.baseballhistorian.com/html/american_heroes.cfm?page=225
After playing only one game for the Tigers in 1952, Evers was part of a blockbuster trade on June 3, 1952 that sent George Kell
, Johnny Lipon
, Dizzy Trout
, and Evers to the Boston Red Sox
.
With Ted Williams
serving in the military, Evers became the Red Sox starting left fielder in 1952, and he hit .262 with 59 RBIs. A broken finger in 1952 reportedly hampered Evers' grip, and he never regained his stroke. Evers played four more major league seasons from 1953 to 1956, but he did not hit above .251 or collect more than 39 RBIs.
In 1,142 career games, Evers batted
.278 with 98 home runs, 565 RBIs, and 1,055 hits.
Tigers' manager Jim Leyland
praised Evers in 2005: "Hoot Evers was probably the number-one motivational guy for me. He was a farm director for the Detroit Tigers. Hoot Evers, Bill Lajoie
and Ed Catalinas advised me to begin a career in the minor league system. ... If I had to look back and pick one person that really motivated me and really let me know what it's about, it would be Hoot Evers." ("October Baseball," by Dan Zachofsky (2005), p. 35)http://books.google.com/books?id=rbBOKGdqnsAC&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&dq=%22hoot+evers%22&source=web&ots=eyv1ffgJj8&sig=N0VOhGNUHIq8zyL65mJhyrxx66M
Evers died in Houston, Texas
in 1991. He was 69 years old and had recently suffered a heart attack.
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played twelve seasons in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(-), New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, and Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
(-).
Early years
Born in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
in 1921, Evers gained the nickname "Hoot" as a child when he was a devoted fan of the films of Richard “Hoot” Gibson
Hoot Gibson
Hoot Gibson was an American rodeo champion and a pioneer cowboy film actor, director and producer.-Early life and career:...
, a popular cowboy who released nearly 75 short films during the first 10 years of Evers’ life. http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/this-annotated-week-in-baseball-history-feb-5-11-1921/
Evers attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
where he was a star baseball player. He is still among the school's all-time leaders in triples. http://www.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ill/sports/m-basebl/auto_pdf/TheRecordBook Evers was signed by the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
as an amateur free agent in 1941 and was considered one of the brightest prospects in baseball. After playing one major league game on September 16, 1941, Evers' baseball career was put on hold while he served four years in the military during World War II.
Evers returned to the Tigers in 1946, playing 76 games in center field, but missing half the season with a broken ankle.
Peak Years with Detroit (1947-1950)
In 1947, the 26-year-old Evers finally played his first full season in the big leagues. He had a .296 batting average and a .344 on base percentage. He was selected for the American League All-Star team in 1948 and 1950.Evers' career peaked in the three years from 1948–1950, hitting over .300 all three years and batting in over 100 runs in 1948 and 1950.
Evers' best season was 1950 when he led the American League in triples (11) and was among the American League leaders in most batting categorird. That year, he had a .551 slugging percentage (3rd in the AL behind Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
), 34 doubles (4th in the AL), .959 OPS (4th in the AL), 67 extra base hits (6th in the AL), .323 batting average (7th in the AL), 109 RBIs (9th in the AL), 259 total bases (9th in the AL), and .408 on base percentage (10th in the AL). Evers also hit for the cycle on September 7, 1950.
Evers was also a solid fielder, leading all American League outfielders in fielding percentage (.997) in 1950 with one error in over 325 chances. With strong performances in the field and at the bat, Evers finished No. 11 in the 1950 American League MVP voting.
When Evers came to the plate in Detroit, Tigers fans would rise to their feet and yell "Ho-o-o-o-t," "Ho-o-o-o-t." A story in the 1951 edition of "Who's Who" said the following about Evers: "The blond that Detroit fans prefer, fielded .997 last season, hit .323 - to raise his popularity rating even higher. Come on Ho-o-o-o-t!" http://www.baseballhistorian.com/html/american_heroes.cfm?page=225
Later years
In 1951 Evers's bat went cold as his batting average dropped nearly 100 points from .323 to .224, and his RBI production dropped from 103 to 46.After playing only one game for the Tigers in 1952, Evers was part of a blockbuster trade on June 3, 1952 that sent George Kell
George Kell
George Clyde Kell was an American baseball third baseman who played for the Philadelphia Athletics , Detroit Tigers , Boston Red Sox , Chicago White Sox , and Baltimore Orioles in the American League, who went on to become a baseball broadcaster for 40 years.-Playing career:In college, Kell...
, Johnny Lipon
Johnny Lipon
John Joseph Lipon was an American Major League Baseball shortstop for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Browns and Cincinnati Reds over the course of 12 seasons . He was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio....
, Dizzy Trout
Dizzy Trout
Paul Howard "Dizzy" Trout was a Major League Baseball pitcher primarily for the Detroit Tigers. Born in Sandcut, Indiana, he first played professionally in 1935 with the Terre Haute Tots in the Three-I League before signing with Detroit in 1939.Trout played for the Tigers for fourteen seasons,...
, and Evers to the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
.
With Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
serving in the military, Evers became the Red Sox starting left fielder in 1952, and he hit .262 with 59 RBIs. A broken finger in 1952 reportedly hampered Evers' grip, and he never regained his stroke. Evers played four more major league seasons from 1953 to 1956, but he did not hit above .251 or collect more than 39 RBIs.
In 1,142 career games, Evers batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.278 with 98 home runs, 565 RBIs, and 1,055 hits.
Baseball Management
After his playing career ended, he worked in the Cleveland Indians organization for several years and was a member of the team's coaching staff in 1970. In 1971, he joined the Detroit Tigers as director of player development. In 1978, he became a special assignment scout for the Tigers in Houston. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE6DB123CF933A05752C0A967958260Tigers' manager Jim Leyland
Jim Leyland
James Richard "Jim" Leyland is a Major League Baseball manager, currently with the Detroit Tigers.He led the Florida Marlins to a World Series championship in 1997, and previously won three straight division titles with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
praised Evers in 2005: "Hoot Evers was probably the number-one motivational guy for me. He was a farm director for the Detroit Tigers. Hoot Evers, Bill Lajoie
Bill Lajoie
William Richard "Bill" Lajoie was an American professional baseball player, manager, scout and front-office executive...
and Ed Catalinas advised me to begin a career in the minor league system. ... If I had to look back and pick one person that really motivated me and really let me know what it's about, it would be Hoot Evers." ("October Baseball," by Dan Zachofsky (2005), p. 35)http://books.google.com/books?id=rbBOKGdqnsAC&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&dq=%22hoot+evers%22&source=web&ots=eyv1ffgJj8&sig=N0VOhGNUHIq8zyL65mJhyrxx66M
Evers died in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
in 1991. He was 69 years old and had recently suffered a heart attack.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
- Hitting for the cycleHitting for the cycleIn baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
- 1950 Detroit Tigers season1950 Detroit Tigers seasonThe Detroit Tigers had a record of 95-59 , the seventh-best winning percentage in the Tigers' 107-year history. After a tight back-and-forth pennant race, they finished in second place, three games behind a Yankees team that swept the Phillies in the 1950 World Series.- Regular season :The 1950...