Dwight Evans
Encyclopedia
Dwight Michael Evans nicknamed "Dewey", is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 former professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...

 and right-handed batter who played with 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"...

 (1972–90) and 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...

 (1991) 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...

.

Evans won eight Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...

s (1976,1978-79 & 1981-85). In the 1970s and 1980s, Evans played in the outfield with Jim Rice
Jim Rice
James Edward "Jim" Rice , nicknamed "Jim Ed", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder.Jim Rice played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox from 1974 to 1989...

 as well as all-stars Fred Lynn
Fred Lynn
Fredric Michael "Fred" Lynn is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox , California Angels , Baltimore Orioles , Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres .Fred Lynn was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in and to the College Baseball Hall of Fame...

 and Tony Armas
Tony Armas
Antonio Rafael Armas Machado is a former Venezuelan professional baseball player who played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He was one of the top sluggers in the American League in the early 1980s. Twice Armas led the league in home runs, and led all of Major League Baseball in RBIs in...

.

Life and career

Evans was born in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...

. He attended Chatsworth High School in California and played alongside Rick Rieger. Evans started his career by winning International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...

 MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...

 honors, but in his early major league career, he was primarily a defensive standout with a modest bat. In the second half of his career, he became a powerful batter.

Evans made his Major League Baseball debut for the Boston Red Sox on September 16, 1972 in a game against the 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...

. The Red Sox won 10-0 behind the pitching of Luis Tiant
Luis Tiant
Luis Clemente Tiant Vega , born November 23, 1940 in Marianao, Cuba, , is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels...

 who threw a 3-hit complete game. Evans pinch ran for Reggie Smith
Reggie Smith
Carl Reginald Smith is a former Major League Baseball outfielder, coach and front office executive. During a 17-year big league career , Smith appeared in 1,987 games, hit 314 home runs and batted .287. He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed. In his prime, he had one of the strongest...

 in the 6th but was stranded at 2B, he played in right field where he recorded 1 PO. Evans went 0-1 at the plate in his debut. Evans played in 18 games in 1972 for the Red Sox, and had 57 plate appearances (.263 BA, 15 H, 2 R, 6 RBI, 1 HR).

Despite the strike-shortened 1981 season, Evans had his best all-around year. He paced the league in total bases (215), OPS
On-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...

 (.937), walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...

 (85), times on base (208), and tied Eddie Murray
Eddie Murray
Eddie Clarence Murray , nicknamed "Steady Eddie", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He was known as one of the most reliable and productive hitters of his era. Murray is regarded as one of the best switch hitters ever to play the game...

, Tony Armas and Bobby Grich
Bobby Grich
Robert Anthony "Bobby" Grich is an American former professional baseball second baseman who played for the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels of Major League Baseball...

 for the home run title with 22. He also ranked second in runs scored (84) and on-base percentage (.415), and third in slugging percentage (.522). He added a .296 batting average
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 :...

 with 71 runs batted in. In 1987, at age 35, Evans recorded career highs in batting average (.305), HRs (34) and RBI (123). He spent his final season with the Orioles, batting .270 with six homers and drove in 38 runs in 101 games.

Evans was named an Outfielder on The Sporting News AL All-Star team in 1982, 1984 and 1987 and was also tabbed as an Outfielder on the AL Silver Slugger Team by The Sporting News in 1981 and 1987. Evans would win the Gold Glove award in 1976, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, and 1985.

In his 20-year career, Evans batted .272, with 385 home runs, 1384 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...

, 1470 runs, 2446 hits, 483 doubles, 73 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....

, and 78 stolen bases in 2606 games. Only Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Michael Yastrzemski is a former American Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox . He was primarily a left fielder, with part of his later career...

 (3308) played more games for the Red Sox than Evans (2505).

From 1980 through 1989, Evans hit more home runs (256) than any other player in the American League. He also led the A.L. in extra base hits over the same period of time. He is the only player to hit 20 or more home runs during every season of the 80's (1980–1989).

Evans hit a home run four times on Opening Day. On April 7, 1986, he set a major league record by hitting the first pitch of the season for a home run, eclipsing the mark held by the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...

' Bump Wills
Bump Wills
Elliot Taylor "Bump" Wills is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs . He also played two seasons in Japan for the Hankyu Braves...

, who hit the second pitch for a home run on April 4, 1982.

Originally Evans was assigned the uniform number 40 but quietly he wanted to wear number 24, the number of his idol Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...

. In 1973 Sox gave him number 24, the number he wore for the rest of his career in Boston and one year with Baltimore. Other Red Sox players to wear the same jersey number since Evans retired include Kevin Mitchell, Mike Stanley
Mike Stanley
Robert Michael "Mike" Stanley is a former American college and professional baseball player who was a catcher in Major League Baseball for fifteen years...

, Manny Ramírez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...

, and Takashi Saito
Takashi Saito
is a Japanese professional baseball player.Saito previously pitched for the Yokohama BayStars in the Japanese Central League, compiling a record of 87–80 over 13 seasons...

.

In 2000, Dwight Evans was selected to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
The Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame was instituted in 1995 to recognize the careers of former Boston Red Sox baseball players. A 15-member selection committee of Red Sox broadcasters and executives, past and present media personnel, and representatives from The Sports Museum of New England and the...

.

In 2002, Evans served as hitting coach for the Red Sox and wore uniform number 25.

In 2003, Evans was named a Player Development Consultant for the Red Sox.

Achievements

  • 3-time All-Star (1978, 1981, 1987)
  • 8 Gold Glove Award (1976, 1978–79, 1981–85)
  • 4-time Top 10 MVP (1981–82, 1987–88)
  • Led league in On-base percentage (1982)
  • Led league in OPS (1981 and 1984)
  • Led league in Runs and Extra-Base Hits (1984)
  • Led league in Total Bases and Home Runs (1981)
  • Led league in Walks (1981, 1985 and 1987)
  • Led league in Runs Created (1981 and 1984)
  • Led league in Times on Base (1981 and 1982)
  • 2,606 Games (34th All-Time MLB)
  • 8,996 At Bats (61st All-Time MLB)
  • 1,470 Runs (65th All-Time MLB)
  • 2,446 Hits (95th All-Time MLB)
  • 4,230 Total Bases (53rd All-Time MLB)
  • 483 Doubles (59th All-Time MLB)
  • 385 Home Runs (49th All-Time MLB)
  • 1,384 RBI (65th All-Time MLB)
  • 1,391 Walks (25th All-Time MLB)
  • 1,570 Runs Created (54th All-Time MLB)
  • 941 Extra-Base Hits (41st All-Time MLB)
  • 3,890 Times on Base (43rd All-Time MLB)
  • 77 Sacrifice Flies (87th All-Time MLB)
  • Hit for the cycle (1984)
  • 4-time hit a home run on opening days in his career, including one on the very first pitch of the season. The one he hit on the very first pitch was also in the first MLB game of the season, thus giving him the record for earliest home run hit in a season, which for obvious reasons can never be broken.
  • Has the 10th most career Home Runs hit by an American League right-handed batter (385).
  • Appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated
    Sports Illustrated
    Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...

     in 1988.
  • In the 11th inning of Game Six of the 1975 World Series
    1975 World Series
    The 1975 World Series was played between the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds . It has been ranked by ESPN as the second-greatest World Series ever played...

     against the Cincinnati Reds
    Cincinnati Reds
    The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....

    , Evans made a spectacular running catch deep in the right field corner near Pesky's Pole
    Pesky's Pole
    Pesky's Pole, commonly referred to as The Pesky Pole, is the nickname for the right field foul pole at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. It is named after Johnny Pesky, who played second base, shortstop and third base for the Red Sox from 1942 to 1952, except for 1943-45 during World War II....

    , robbing Joe Morgan
    Joe Morgan
    Joe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...

     of a home run, then doubled Ken Griffey, Sr.
    Ken Griffey, Sr.
    George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He currently serves as Manager for the Bakersfield Blaze, the Reds' Single A minor league affiliate. He is the father of former professional outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. and former minor leaguer Craig Griffey. He and his...

     off first. The Red Sox then won the game in the 12th on Carlton Fisk
    Carlton Fisk
    Carlton Ernest Fisk , nicknamed "Pudge" or "The Commander", is a former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 24-year baseball career, he played for both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox .Fisk was known by the nickname "Pudge" due to his 6'2", 220 lb frame...

    's famous walkoff home run.

Charitable work

  • Evans and his wife Susan have been long-time supporters of the neurofibromatosis
    Neurofibromatosis
    Neurofibromatosis is a genetically-inherited disorder in which the nerve tissue grows tumors that may be benign or may cause serious damage by compressing nerves and other tissues...

     non-profit NF Inc., Northeast. Their sons Timothy and Justin were diagnosed with the disease in the 1980s.

Film career

  • In 2011, Evans had a brief appearance in the Farrelly brothers
    Farrelly brothers
    Peter John Farrelly and Robert Leo "Bobby" Farrelly, Jr. , professionally known as the Farrelly Brothers are screenwriters and directors of ten comedy films, including There's Something About Mary; Dumb and Dumber; Kingpin; Hall Pass; Me, Myself & Irene; Shallow Hal; Stuck on You; Osmosis Jones;...

     film Hall Pass as Maggie's father.

See also


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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