Tinker to Evers to Chance

These are the saddest of possible words:
“Tinker to Evers to Chance.”
Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,
Tinker and Evers and Chance.
Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,
Making a Giant hit into a double –
Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
“Tinker to Evers to Chance.”

By Franklin Pierce Adams
New York Evening Mail July 10, 1910

Poetry is exactly how you could describe the fielding team of shortstop Joe Tinker, second baseman Johnny Evers, and first baseman Frank Chance. The trio were part of the 1907 and 1908 World Series Champs and the 1910 pennant winners The Chicago Cubs a formidable team of the beginning of the 1900s. As stellar and team orientated this triple threat of hitting and more notably of course for their fielding was, ironically was just the opposite off the diamond. Player /Manager Frank Chance was known for his extreme discipline with the team, added with John Tinker and Joe Evers’ constant feuding, one time actually coming to blows, it’s amazing they even made it on to the field. They may not of liked or respected one another most of the time, but they certainly treated baseball in a different manner. There is some debate as to why they were so famous. As far as numbers they didn’t turn any more double plays then any other 6 4 3 combination’s at the time, many believe that it was the poem, some say it was the fashion in which executed the plays, or being on one of the best and winning est teams of the early 1900s I am sure helped out as well.. Maybe it was a little of each or all of those. What do you think?