Evers and Hornsby: Hall of Famers
Rogers Was One of the All-Time Greats While Johnny Was Merely Good
Oct 17, 2007
Johnny Evers played second base for the Chicago Cubs from 1902 until 1913. He was an integral part of the "greatest" double play combination in baseball history, Tinker to Evers to Chance. In 1912, Johnny Evers took part in 71 double plays, which was the most in his career. In 1966, Bill Mazeroski set the record for second basemen when he took part in 161 double plays.
Johnny Evers' Record
Following the 1913 season, Johnny Evers was traded to the Boston Braves, where he helped Boston's other team stage one of the greatest comebacks ever, as they went from last place, 15 games out on July 4, to win the 1914 pennant. In his sixteen-year career, Evers batted .270, hit 12 home runs, had a .356 on base average, and slugged .334. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1946.
Rogers Hornsby Was a Great Hitter
Rogers Hornsby was a second baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Browns from 1915 to 1931, although he appeared in a few games each season until 1937 as a playing manager. Hornsby hit over .400 three times, with a high of .424 in 1924. He had a lifetime batting average of .358, which is the highest of any right-handed batter in baseball history. Hornsby hit 301 home runs, had a .434 on base average, and slugged .577. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1942.
Evers and Hornsby are Hall of Famers
There appears to be an inconsistency. Evers hit .270 when the league hit .262. Hornsby hit .358 when the league hit .282. Hornsby out-hit Evers by 88 points, out-homered him by 289 homer runs, had an on base average that was 78 points better, and outslugged him by almost 250 points. How can they both be Hall of Famers?
Hall of Fame Voting Criteria
The Hall of Fame, a private organization, states that "Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played." That's it. Since the player's record is listed first, it probably carries the most weight, but if that is true, how can it be claimed that Johnny Evers' playing record was worth of election to the Hall to Fame when it is so different from Rogers Hornsby's?
Most Hall of Famers are Deserving
Nothing is going to change. Rogers Hornsby, Napoleon Lajoie, Eddie Collins, Frankie Frisch, Charlie Gehringer, Jackie Robinson, Rod Carew and Joe Morgan are among the all time great second baseman. Johnny Evers is not. Most of the players in the Hall of Fame deserve their recognition, but some do not.
One Solution for Fans
The best solution is for fans to evaluate players for themselves and not accept unquestioningly what the "experts" decide. Some cases are easy, such as Johnny Evers. Others, such as Bill Mazeroski are not because some individuals consider defensive skills extremely important. Don Sutton was not close to Sandy Koufax with respect to ability, but Sutton was a solid pitcher for about twenty-three seasons while Koufax retired at the age of thirty. Fred McGriff hit 493 home runs. If he had hit seven more, would that make him a Hall of Famer? It’s not always easy to decide, but in some cases, that’s not the case.
