Starting off in an outfield with Fred Lynn and Jim Rice, Evans was essentially the number three man in the outfield but became a huge contributor with his defensive play in the field. Year by year, his offensive numbers slowly began to improve and by the 1980s, Evans was contributing with power and a huge amount of walks leading to very high On Base percentages. That patience at the plate may have cost him sexy Batting Average numbers but he showed such a complete mastery of the game that this should not be overlooked.
Evans was a very good player and posted excellent career numbers, but like so many on this list, he is the victim of being in the shadows of others and not having a monster year. Evans quietly left the ballot in 1999, and despite high sabremetrical numbers, there seems to be little reason to think that Evans will be strongly looked at by the Veteran’s Committee. This is too bad, as he at least deserves mre than just a glance.
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