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Three-time All-Star Dwight "Dewey" Evans earned a reputation as one of the premier defensive outfielders of his era, capturing eight Gold Gloves for his fielding excellence while patrolling right field for the Boston Red Sox. Born on November 3, 1951, in Santa Monica, California, the 20-year-old Dewey made his major league debut during the Red Sox's 1972 pursuit of the American League East title. That season, the struggling BoSox finished a mere half-game behind Billy Martin's Detroit Tigers. After earning Triple-A International League MVP honors, Evans was hailed as a future superstar, but his hitting did not fully develop until the 1980s under the guidance of Red Sox hitting coach Walt Hriniak, a protégé of Charley Lau. Prior to that, he was recognized primarily for his outstanding defense and a powerful, accurate throwing arm.
Initially a pitcher when he began his professional career, Evans transitioned to the outfield. When warming up before games or between innings, he utilized an uncommon wrist cocking motion reminiscent of his pitching days to keep his strong right arm loose. Evans won eight Gold Gloves while spending part of each season playing in Fenway Park, one of the most challenging right fields in the majors due to its dimensions and the sun's position during day games. From 1975 to 1989, he was a member of one of baseball's greatest outfields, alongside fellow Gold Glove winners Carl Yastrzemski in left field and Fred Lynn in center field, both AL MVP recipients. In the 1980s, he shared the outfield with MVP Jim Rice in left and power hitter Tony Armas in center field.
Evans took over a year to recover from a severe beaning in the latter half of 1978, his first All-Star season. Red Sox manager Don Zimmer, himself a survivor of a serious beaning that required skull surgery, criticized Evans for being timid at the plate afterward, calling him “the balls of a milk cow.” Under Hriniak’s coaching, Evans began to improve his hitting. Coincidentally, his offensive breakthrough came after Zimmer was dismissed late in the 1980 season.
During the strike-shortened 1981 season, Evans led the American League in total bases (215), walks (85), and times on base (208). He tied future Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, along with Tony Armas and Bobby Grich, for the league home run lead at 22. Evans ranked second in runs scored (84) and on-base percentage (.415), and third in slugging percentage (.522). He finished third in AL MVP voting that year, trailing Hall of Fame reliever Rollie Fingers and future Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson.
Evans maintained a hitting pace in the 1980s that, had it been sustained during the 1970s, likely would have secured him a place in the Hall of Fame. He played a key role in the Red Sox winning the AL pennant in 1986, appearing in his second World Series with the team—the first being the legendary 1975 Series. In the 1986 World Series, Evans batted .309 with two home runs and nine RBIs. The following year, at age 35, he posted career highs in batting average (.305), home runs (34), and RBIs (123), finishing fourth in AL MVP voting.
Evans was part of the Red Sox teams that captured the American League East titles in 1988 and 1990. Although his 2,505 games played for Boston ranked second only to Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski’s 3,308, the Red Sox declined to offer him a contract after the 1990 season. Similarly, franchise icon Jim Rice was released at the end of 1989; Rice retired rather than accept an offer from Baltimore Orioles manager Frank Robinson, whereas Evans accepted and spent his final season with the Orioles. However, he was a shadow of his former self, hitting just .270 with six home runs and 38 RBIs in 101 games before retiring after the 1991 season.
Over a 20-year American League career, Evans compiled a .272 batting average with 2,446 hits, 385 home runs, and 1,384 RBIs. He scored 1,470 runs and notched 483 doubles. While these numbers are impressive and might have earned him Hall of Fame induction in an earlier era, they fell short of the heightened standards established during the power-driven, post-strike 1990s, when reaching 3,000 hits and/or 500 home runs became a near-certain path to Cooperstown.
Dwight Evans was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2000.
