A Q&A with Red Sox outfielder Dwight Evans
From SABR member David Laurila at FanGraphs on December 13, 2011:
Dwight Evans is one of the most beloved players in Red Sox history. Known for his class and dignity almost as much as for what he did on the field, the man affectionately known as “Dewey” played more games in a Red Sox uniform than anyone except Carl Yastrzemski. A member of the star-crossed 1975 and 1986 teams, he also played in some of Boston’s most-memorable games.
An underrated hitter throughout much of his career, Evans hit .272/.370/.470, with 385 home runs, and no player in baseball had more extra-base hits during the decade of the 1980s. Widely regarded as he best defensive right fielder of his era, he won eight Gold Gloves. Bill James has called him “one of the most-underrated players in baseball history.”
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On Bill Buckner and Hendu’s Homer [1986]
“To me, Dave Henderson’s home run was bigger than Carlton Fisk’s home run. Much bigger. We were going to be out of the series. Bernie Carbo’s home run was bigger than Fisk’s. I’m not taking anything away from Pudge. His home run was great — it was a game-winner — but the game was tied. Carbo’s home run came in the eighth inning with us down by three runs. It was huge. It was the second biggest home run I ever saw, right ahead of Fisk’s.
“When Henderson hit his home run, we had been pushed down, out of the dugout, by the stadium police. They had pushed us down into the runway. We were looking at Dave Henderson hitting through the legs of the stadium cops. He was fouling off pitch after pitch against Donnie Moore, who a few years later committed suicide. He was fouling off nasty forkballs, nasty pitches, and then connected with one to [save] the game. There were 65,000 people in the stadium and they were loud and ready to pour onto the field. To them it was like, game over.
Read the full article here: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/dwight-evans-hall-of-fame-individual/
Originally published: December 13, 2011. Last Updated: December 13, 2011.