Books and articles about Billy Evans

One of the foremost umpires in baseball history, Evans was refined and fastidious. He substituted diplomacy for belligerency during baseball's rowdier days. He began as a sportswriter but took up umpiring after he substituted for an absent arbiter in a game he was covering. He was only 22 when he was promoted from a Class C league to the AL, the youngest man ever to be employed as a ML umpire and the only one ever promoted all the way from Class C.

RELATED LINKS Book Excerpts » "[Ty Cobb would] lean over home plate, and when it was on the inside corner, he would act as if the pitch was going to hit him. Billy Evans was the one umpire who would call it a strike at all times on him": George Uhle Submissions » The 1919 Black Sox (Part I) by Harvey Frommer

In his 22 years as an AL umpire, he achieved a reputation for fairness and unquestioned integrity. In Game Two of the 1909 WS, played in Pittsburgh, the Pirates' Dots Miller hit a low line drive along the foul line in the direction of temporary right-field bleachers that rested in part in fair territory. As the ball sailed over the stands the fans stood and obstructed the views of Evans and the other umpire, Bill Klem. Neither saw the ball land. Both marched to the outfield and Evans began questioning the bleacherites as to whether the ball was fair or foul. On their testimony Evans decided the ball had landed fair and skipped into the crowd. Miller, who had circled the bases, was sent back to second with a ground-rule double.

Although he was a diplomat, Evans once fought Ty Cobb under the grandstand after Cobb challenged Evans over two close out calls at the plate. Al Schacht, baseball's "Clown Prince," described the fight: "When the game ended they both went under the grandstand while the members of both teams became spectators. Billy posed like a real fighter while Ty stalked him like a Tiger and then suddenly hit him in the jaw. Down went Evans with Ty on top of him. With his knee on Evans' chest, Ty held Billy by the throat and tried to choke him. We finally got him off Billy and that was the end of the fight."

Evans continued his writing career, authoring many articles and a book: Umpiring from the Inside. From 1920 to 1927 he wrote a syndicated column, "Billy Evans Says." In later years Evans served as GM for Cleveland (1927-36) and Detroit (1947-51), farm director for Boston (1936-40), GM of the NFL's Cleveland Rams (1941), and president of the Southern Association (1942-46). In 1973 he was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame. (RTM)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » May 21, 1907: Three Finger Brown and Christy Mathewson hook up in a pitching duel, with the Chicago ace emerging the winner, 3-2. Matty's batterymate Roger Bresnahan makes two errors to cause Mathewson to lose his 1st of the year. Mobbed at the Polo Grounds after the loss, umpires Hank O'Day and Bob Emslie require police protection. The crowd is egged on by John McGraw, who will be thrown out of games seven times this year. The next day AL ump Billy Evans needs a police escort after argumentative Hugh Jennings incites a riot. Jennings will be suspended. » September 15, 1907: At the Browns-Tigers game in St. Louis, a soda bottle thrown by a fan, Hugo Dusenberg, fells umpire Billy Evans. The crowd beats up Hugo before the police come to his rescue; he is fined $100. Evans is carried from the field and hospitalized, but is not very seriously injured. » April 14, 1914: Before 22,000 at the Polo Grounds, the Yankees rock the World Champion Athletics, 8–2, driving Joe Bush from the mound after two innings. With only one starter, Roy Hartzell, back from last year's opening lineup, New York scores four in the first and would have scored another in the 2nd inning but Jeff Sweeney falls rounding 3B. When the burly catcher is helped to his feet by coach and manager Frank Chance, he is declared out by Billy Evans: a new rule prohibits coaches from helping runners. Sweeney redeems himself when he and pitcher Marty McHale pull off a double steal. New York has seven steals, including two by Sweeney and Fritz Maisel, who steals 2B and 3B in the 4th inning. Maisel will swipe 74 bases on the year, while Sweeney will pick up 19, tops for Yankee catchers. » June 22, 1918: It's a hot day in New York, and umpires George Hildebrand and Billy Evans don't show up, so Giants coach Mike Donlin and Browns trainer Bits Bierhalter take their places. The game takes 15 innings to reach an inconclusive 4-4 tie. » September 2, 1918: In Washington, the Senators end the year on a light note, by splitting with the A's. Philadelphia wins the opener and the Nats take the nitecap, 8–3. The 2nd game is Washington's traditional year-end laugher, and 43-year-old coach Nick Altrock finishes in relief, one of his five appearance in 1918. Altrock bats in the bottom of the 8th and Wickey McAvoy, a catcher playing first for the day, comes in to throw. Altrock finally lines one of his lobs into the outfield, rambles around the bases and—according to Al Kermisch's description—neglects 2B and 3B. Ump Billy Evans calls Altrock safe at home for the only homer by a Senator hit at home this season. For Altrock, it's been 14 years since his last round tripper. The game ends with General March throwing out the last ball; he'll toss out the first next year. » September 24, 1921: Harry Heilmann is 3-for-4 against Walter Johnson, but Washington wins the game over Detroit, 5–1. Ty Cobb is so incense by the umpiring of Billy Evans that he challenges him to a fight. The two future Hall of Famers go at it with Cobb getting the best of Evans. George Hildebrand, the 2nd ump assigned to the game, reports the incident to American League prexy Ban Johnson. When Johnson fails to act, Commissioner Landis steps in and suspends Cobb, but allows him to continue as a non-playing manager. » June 13, 1924: The first-place Yankees come to Detroit with the Tigers close on their heels. New York leads 10-6 in the top of the ninth. Bob Meusel takes a pitch in his back, hurls his bat at P Bert Cole, and charges the mound. Players from both teams start swinging. Fans rush out of the stands, eager to mix it up with players, police, and each other. The fight goes on for nearly 30 minutes while umpire Billy Evans, unable to clear the field, forfeits the game to New York. Cole and Meusel are suspended for 10 days; Meusel is fined $100, and Cole and Ruth $50 each. » November 28, 1927: Billy Evans quits as American League umpire to becomes business manager (effectively the first General Manager) of the Indians following the purchase of the club by a group headed by Alva Bradley. » November 19, 1928: In one of their most important acquisitions ever, Indians GM Billy Evans sends $40,000 and two players to San Francisco (PCL) for OF Earl Averill. Averill asks for and gets $5,000 from the Tribe as part of the deal. He'll play 11 years in Cleveland, hitting .316. » June 7, 1933: Cleveland GM Billy Evans fires manager Roger Peckinpaugh and hires Walter Johnson to take over. Bibb Falk manages for one game until Johnson arrives. » July 28, 1951: Charlie Gehringer succeeds Billy Evans as GM of the Detroit Tigers. » January 28, 1973: The Hall of Fame Special Veterans Committee selects 19th-century players Mickey Welch and George Kelly, plus umpire Billy Evans, for enshrinement.