Joe Tinker
Encyclopedia
Joseph Bert Tinker was a Major League Baseball
player and manager
. He is best known for his years with the Chicago Cubs
dynasty which won four pennants between 1906 and 1910; and for his feud with double play partner Johnny Evers
. Tinker was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame
in 1946.
. He started his professional baseball career in 1900, at the age of 19. In 1901, he batted .290 in the Pacific Northwest League
and was purchased by the Cubs.
in a number of statistical categories (including four times in fielding percentage). During his decade with the Cubs, they went to the World Series
four times, winning in 1907 and 1908.
Despite being just an average hitter, Tinker had a good amount of success against fellow Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson
. He hit a game-winning double off of Mathewson in the 1908 National League
playoff game - a replay of the Merkle game - that clinched the pennant for Chicago.
Tinker is perhaps best known for the "Tinker to Evers
to Chance
" double play
combination in the poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon," written by the New York Evening Mail
newspaper columnist Franklin Pierce Adams
in July 1910. Yet several years earlier, on September 14, 1905, Tinker and Evers had engaged in a fistfight on the field because Evers had taken a cab and left his teammates behind in the hotel lobby. Tinker and Evers did not speak to one another again for 33 years, until they were asked to participate in the radio broadcast of the 1938 World Series
(Cubs versus Yankees
), where they were tearfully reunited.
Tinker's incessant salary demands got him traded to the Cincinnati Reds
in 1912. After a year playing and managing the Reds, Tinker jumped to the Federal League
. He managed the Chicago Whales
for two years and won the pennant in 1915, but the league folded after the season. He rejoined the Cubs briefly in 1916.
, managing, scouting, and dabbling in real estate. He ran the Orlando Gulls in the Florida State League
. Tinker Field
, a stadium in the shadow of the Citrus Bowl
, is named for him.
Tinker died in Orlando, Florida
on his 68th birthday of complications from diabetes. He was buried in Orlando's Greenwood Cemetery.
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...
player and manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
. He is best known for his years with 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...
dynasty which won four pennants between 1906 and 1910; and for his feud with double play partner Johnny Evers
Johnny Evers
John Joseph Evers was a Major League Baseball player and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1946...
. Tinker was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
in 1946.
Early life
Tinker was born in Muscotah, KansasMuscotah, Kansas
Muscotah is a city in Atchison County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 176. Muscotah was named for the Kickapoo Native American word for "prairie"-History:...
. He started his professional baseball career in 1900, at the age of 19. In 1901, he batted .290 in the Pacific Northwest League
Pacific Northwest League
The Pacific Northwest League was a professional Minor League Baseball league based in the Pacific Northwest. It was the first professional baseball league ever in the region.-Founding:...
and was purchased by the Cubs.
Major league career
Tinker was the starting shortstop for the Chicago Cubs from 1902 to 1912. He was a speedy runner, stealing an average of 28 bases a season and even stealing home twice in one game on July 28, 1910. He also excelled at fielding, often leading the National LeagueNational League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in a number of statistical categories (including four times in fielding percentage). During his decade with the Cubs, they went to the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
four times, winning in 1907 and 1908.
Despite being just an average hitter, Tinker had a good amount of success against fellow Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson
Christy Mathewson
Christopher "Christy" Mathewson , nicknamed "Big Six", "The Christian Gentleman", or "Matty", was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire career in what is known as the dead-ball era...
. He hit a game-winning double off of Mathewson in the 1908 National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
playoff game - a replay of the Merkle game - that clinched the pennant for Chicago.
Johnny Evers
John Joseph Evers was a Major League Baseball player and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1946...
to Chance
Frank Chance
Frank Leroy Chance was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century. Performing the roles of first baseman and manager, Chance led the Chicago Cubs to four National League championships in the span of five years and earned the nickname "The Peerless Leader".Chance was elected to...
" double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
combination in the poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon," written by the New York Evening Mail
New York Evening Mail
The New York Evening Mail was an American daily newspaper published in New York City.The paper was made up of the New York Evening Express, which dated from 1836, and the Daily Advertiser. It was eventually merged with the Evening Telegram, which became the New York World-Telegram in 1927.From New...
newspaper columnist Franklin Pierce Adams
Franklin Pierce Adams
Franklin Pierce Adams was an American columnist, well known by his initials F.P.A., and wit, best known for his newspaper column, "The Conning Tower", and his appearances as a regular panelist on radio's Information Please...
in July 1910. Yet several years earlier, on September 14, 1905, Tinker and Evers had engaged in a fistfight on the field because Evers had taken a cab and left his teammates behind in the hotel lobby. Tinker and Evers did not speak to one another again for 33 years, until they were asked to participate in the radio broadcast of the 1938 World Series
1938 World Series
The 1938 World Series matched the two-time defending champion New York Yankees against the Chicago Cubs, with the Yankees sweeping the Series in four games for their seventh championship and record third straight .Dizzy Dean, who had helped carry the Cubs to the National League pennant despite a...
(Cubs versus Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
), where they were tearfully reunited.
Tinker's incessant salary demands got him traded to 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....
in 1912. After a year playing and managing the Reds, Tinker jumped to the Federal League
Federal League
The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that operated as a "third major league", in competition with the established National and American Leagues, from to...
. He managed the Chicago Whales
Chicago Whales
The Chicago Whales were a professional baseball team based in Chicago. They played in the Federal League, a short-lived "third Major League", in 1914 and 1915. They originally lacked a formal nickname, and were known simply as the "Chicago Federals" to distinguish them from the Chicago Cubs and...
for two years and won the pennant in 1915, but the league folded after the season. He rejoined the Cubs briefly in 1916.
Later life
Tinker ended his career in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, managing, scouting, and dabbling in real estate. He ran the Orlando Gulls in the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
. Tinker Field
Tinker Field
Tinker Field is a stadium in Orlando, Florida. It is primarily used for baseball, and was the home field of the Orlando Rays minor league baseball team before they moved to Cracker Jack Stadium in 2000...
, a stadium in the shadow of the Citrus Bowl
Citrus Bowl
The Florida Citrus Bowl is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, USA, built for football, which currently seats around 70,000 people....
, is named for him.
Tinker died in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
on his 68th birthday of complications from diabetes. He was buried in Orlando's Greenwood Cemetery.
Statistics
| G Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,... |
AB At bat In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance... |
H | 2B Double (baseball) In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice.... |
3B 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.... |
HR Home run In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process... |
R | RBI | SB Stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate... |
BB 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... |
SO Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... |
AVG 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 :... |
OBP On base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes... |
SLG | 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... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,804 | 6,434 | 1,687 | 263 | 114 | 31 | 774 | 782 | 336 | 416 | 149 | .262 | .308 | .353 | .661 |
See also
- List of members of the Baseball Hall of Fame
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
External links
- Obituary at The Deadball Era