» September 1, 1902: In today's split with the Phillies, Tinker, Evers, and Chance appear together in the Chicago Cubs lineup for the first time, but not in the positions that will earn them immortality. Johnny Evers, a New York State League rookie, starts at SS, with Joe Tinker at 3B, Frank Chance at 1B, and veteran Bobby Lowe at 2B. Philadelphia takes the opener, 11-3 behind White, while Chicago is victorious in the nitecap, 6-1, behind Jack Taylor's pitching.
» September 13, 1902: Tinker, Evers, and Chance play their first game as a SS-2B-1B combo for Chicago. Germany Schaefer is at 3B as Chicago clips St. Louis, 12-0.
» September 15, 1902: Chicago's infield combo of Tinker, Evers, and Chance pull off their first double play to back up Carl Lundgren's 6-3 win over the Reds.
» June 11, 1904: Before a record-breaking 38,805 at New York's Polo Grounds, Iron Joe McGinnity pitches nine innings of scoreless ball against Chicago. The Colts Bob Wicker goes one better, tossing nine innings without allowing a hit before former Cub Sam Mertes singles with one out in the 10th to break the no hitter. Chicago win it in the 12th, 1-0, when Johnny Evers 2-out single off McGinnity scores Frank Chance. It is Iron Joe's first loss after 14 straight wins. Wicker is flawless, allowing no other hits and striking out 10. Mertes also broke up another no-hitter on May 9th.
» September 14, 1905: Joe Tinker and Johnny Evers engage in a fist fight on the field during an exhibition game in Washington, IN, because Evers took a taxi to the park, leaving his teammates in the hotel lobby. The pair will not speak to each other ever again.
» September 23, 1905:
In Chicago, Christy Mathewson and Carl Lundgren hook up in a tight pitchers' duel, decided in Chicago's favor on a mental error by Giants 2B Bill Dahlen. With two on and two out in the 5th inning, Dahlen bobbles a grounder and touches 2B as the runner arrives. Dahlen, thinking that he has the 3rd out, rolls the ball to the mound. But ump Bob Emslie calls the runner safe. Johnny Evers the runner on 3B, alertly scores on the play for the game's only run. The loss stops Matty's win streak at 11 games.
» April 16, 1906: In Cincinnati, the Cubs lose 3-2 as Johnny Evers and Frank Chance get ejected. Following the game, Joe Tinker gets into a fight with a fan to complete the circuit.
» May 24, 1906: The Cubs overcome a 5-2 Giants lead to tie the game at 5-5, but a Johnny Evers error in the 8th gives New York a 6-5 win. Christy Mathewson, who pitches just two and 1/3 innings, is credited with the win, since he left the game with the Giants ahead. Wiltse pitches the last seven 1/3 innings. By taking three out of four in Chicago, the Giants move back into first place.
» September 4, 1908: In a game, the significance of which will not be recognized for another three weeks, the Pirates and Cubs are tied 0-0 in the last of the 10th at Pittsburgh. With two outs and the bases loaded, Pittsburgh's Owen Wilson singles to CF, scoring Fred Clarke with the winning run. Warren Gill, on 1B, does not get to 2B but stops short, turns, and heads for the dugout, a common practice. The Cubs' Johnny Evers calls for the ball from Jimmy Slagle, touches 2B, and claims the run does not count as Gill has been forced. The lone umpire, Hank O'Day, has left the field. When queried, he rules that Clarke had already scored, so the run counts. The Cubs protest to league president Harry Pulliam, but are denied. This is the first time the Cubs try this tactic, but not the last.
» September 23, 1908: Giants P Christy Mathewson and Cubs P Three Finger Brown battle in the most controversial game ever played. The score is 1-1, with two outs in the last of the 9th. The Giants' Harry McCormick is on 3B, and Fred Merkle (19, and making his first start of the year, is subbing for the sore-legged veteran Fred Tenney), on 1B. Al Bridwell singles, scoring McCormick. Halfway to 2B, Merkle turns and heads for the clubhouse in CF. Johnny Evers secures a ball (Joe McGinnity swears he picked up the ball that was in play and threw it into the stands) and touches 2B as the crowd overruns the field. Umpire Hank O'Day at 1B claims he didn't see the play, but that evening he rules the run does not count, and the game ended with a tie score. (Years later, in an interview, Merkle will describe it this way: "When Bridwell shot that long single, I started across the grass for the clubhouse. Matty was near me. When Evers began shouting for the ball, he noticed something was wrong. Matty caught me by the arm and told me to wait a minute. We walked over toward 2B, and Matty spoke to [Bob] Emslie. ‘How about this, Bob, is there any trouble with the score of the play?' ‘It's all right,' said Emslie. ‘You've got the game. I don't see anything wrong with the play.' Matty then took me by the arm and we walked to the clubhouse confident that we had won the game.")
» August 23, 1909:
It's a day for thievery as the Cubs steal home three times in a game at Boston, tying a ML mark. They waste no time, as Johnny Evers and Del Howard do it in the first inning, and Solly Hofman in the 2nd. Chicago wins, 11-6.
» August 27, 1910:
At Chicago's West Side Park, Chicago pulls off a 3rd-inning triple play—2B Johnny Evers to 3B Heinie Zimmerman—against the Giants, but New York wins handily, 18–9. The Giants tally 23 hits to the Cubs 15 in beating the league-leaders.
» October 1, 1910:
In a 9–6 Chicago win in Cincinnati, the Cubs' Johnny Evers breaks his ankle sliding home and will not play in the World Series.
» April 12, 1912: The Tinker-Evers-Chance double play combination (with Ed Lennox at 3B) plays its final ML game together, a 3–2 loss in Cincinnati. Vic Saier will replace Chance at 1B.
» August 10, 1912:
In a game at Boston, Chicago star Johnny Evers pushes umpire Bill Finneran after the latter challenges Evers, Heinie Zimmerman, and Frank Chance to fight him under the stands after the game. Evers will be suspended for five days, and though the Cubs win three games, there will be a howl that president Lynch is favoring the Giants. Red Downs will fill in at 2B for Chicago.
» October 24, 1912: The Cubs name Johnny Evers to manage the team in 1913. Between 1912 and 1916, each member of the Tinker-Evers-Chance infield will manage the team.
» August 21, 1913: The Giants increase their NL lead to 10 games by smoking Eddie Stack and the Cubs, 8–2. Christy Mathewson rolls to his 22nd win, allowing eight hits. Johnny Evers collects three hits, including a homer in the 5th.
» February 11, 1914: Declining to remain with the Cubs as a player after being fired as manager, Johnny Evers is traded to the Boston Braves for 2B Bill Sweeney. Evers will have one good season left, leading the Miracle Braves to the pennant and willing the Chalmers Award for MVP. Sweeney will sour in Chicago.
» September 7, 1914: The Braves and Giants play an A.M.-P.M. twin bill in Boston on Labor Day. To accommodate the crowds, the Braves have moved their home games to Fenway Park, courtesy of owner Joe Lannin: Fenway has triple the seating capacity of South End Grounds. The two contests draw 74,163 on the day. The Braves, down 4–3 to Christy Mathewson in the 9th, storm back for two runs to win the opener. Josh Devore scratches a single, Herb Moran doubles into the crowd ringing the outfield, and Johnny Evers slaps a single that eludes George Burns to drive home the tying and winning runs. Jeff Tesreau wins the nitecap, 10–1, and the Giants pile on Lefty Tyler. In the Giants' 4-run sixth, Fred Snodgrass takes a pitch on the sleeve to reach 1B, thumbing his nose at Tyler along the way. Lefty retaliates by acting out Fred's 1912 muff. When Snodgrass returns to CF, the crowd is merciless to the point that Boston Mayor Curley rushes on the field and demands the umpires eject the Giant player. McGraw, worried that Snodgrass might incur an injury, replaces Snodgrass.
» October 9, 1914: The Boston Braves go into the World Series as underdogs, despite their strong finish. Only one regular, LF Joe Connolly, hit .300. Their strengths are pitchers Dick Rudolph, George "Lefty" Tyler, and "Seattle Bill" James, 2B Johnny Evers, who wins Chalmers' final MVP automobile, and SS Rabbit Maranville, their cleanup hitter. The Philadelphia A's Eddie Collins, with a .344 BA, wins the Chalmers AL award with 63 of 64 possible points. The A's have seven pitchers with 10 or more wins, led by Chief Bender's 17–3. Bender's World Series magic is quickly dispelled as the Braves knock him out in the 6th. Rudolph coasts to a 5-hit 7–1 victory. Hank Gowdy has a single, double, and triple. He will hit a World Series record .545, and Evers, .438. Only Babe Ruth will top Gowdy with .625 in 1928. Bender makes his last World Series appearance, finishing with a record 59 strikeouts.
» October 13, 1914: The first World Series sweep in history belongs to the Braves—the only World Series the franchise will ever win. Bob Shawkey and Herb Pennock allow just six hits, but one is a 2-run single by Johnny Evers, as Dick Rudolph wins 3–1.
» June 22, 1916:
Against the Giants, the Braves pull off a triple steal in the 11th inning, with Johnny Evers on the front end. It is the NL's only extra-inning triple steal; the AL's only triple swipe will come in 1941.
» August 7, 1921: The Cubs replace manager Johnny Evers with Bill Killefer. With Pete Alexander, the former batterymate of "Reindeer Bill" the mound, the Cubs lose to the Giants, 7–2, at Cubs Park. New York third sacker Frankie Frisch is knocked out by a deflected ground ball.
» October 26, 1923: Frank Chance signs to manage the White Sox replacing Kid Gleason, but he will resign February 17, 1924, because of illness. Coach Johnny Evers, named acting manager, will fill the job the entire season.
» February 17, 1924: Frank Chance, signed as White Sox manager three months ago, resigns because of illness. Coach Johnny Evers is named acting manager until Chance returns, but the former Cubs star never recovers, and dies on September 24, 1924.
» October 6, 1929:
At Boston, the Giants close the season by beating the Braves, 9–4. In the 9th, the Braves put in two coaches, Johnny Evers at 2B and Hank Gowdy at catcher, Gowdy's 10th game of the year. Roy Parmelee is the winner with Red Lucas pitching the last four innings. Lucas leads the National League in complete games (28) and pinch hits: Lucas hits .293 in 140 at bats.
» June 15, 1935:
In New York the Giants defeat the Cards, 7–5. Mark Koenig's single in the 8th drives in two runs to give reliever Al Smith the winning vote. Collins and Rothrock have homers for the Cards. Viewing the proceedings are Alabama Pitts, late of Sing Sing, along with Johnny Evers, manager of the Albany club (his team loses today, 12–0, to Montreal) and Warden Lewis Lawes. The three are friends and are awaiting a favorable ruling from Judge Landis that will allow Pitts to play pro baseball.
» June 23, 1935:
Alabama Pitts, the celebrated ex-convict, makes his debut with Albany in a twinbill with Syracuse. He has two hits and two spectacular catches in CF in the opener, then goes hitless in the nitecap. Manager Johnny Evers enthuses, "I tell you he's a sure shot for the big leagues."
» November 15, 1945: The rules are revised for election of modern players
to the Hall of Fame. A runoff election is formulated
as a way to qualify more players for selection, but
it fails to meet its objective as no one reaches the
75 percent requirement in the runoff. Frank Chance,
Johnny Evers, Miller Huggins, and Ed Walsh come closest.
» April 24, 1946:
Eleven former players--Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers,
Frank Chance, Jess Burkett, Tom McCarthy, Rube Waddell,
Eddie Plank, Ed Walsh, Jack Chesbro, Clark Griffith,
and Joe McGinnity--are named to the Hall of Fame.
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