Russell to Baez to Rizzo: Baseball’s Newest, Saddest Lexicon.
Tinkers to Evers to Chance, unmasked after 108 years.
July 12, 1910 a poem was published in The New York Evening Mail, which would later be called “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon.” Staff member Franklin Pierce Adams wrote the poem about a double play combination on the Chicago Cubs that he describes as so fluid and so perfect that once hit in their vicinity, you just stop in your tracks, put that wad of tobacco in your mouth and head back to the dugout.
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.”
It didn’t exactly say that per se, but the implications were there. It was where balls went to die and if you’re a cub fan or baseball historian you know that the cub trio was involved in one of the most interesting stories in the Cubs long franchise history; The story of “Merkle’s Boner.”
September 23rd, 1908. The Giants had runners on first and third in a tie game against the Cubs in the bottom of the ninth, Giant’s shortstop Al Bridwell lines a single over Cubs 2nd baseman Johnny Evers head, which scores the winning run. Giant infielder Fred Merkle being stationed at first base on the play, withdrew his route to 2nd base, because of the oncoming crowd on the field. The alert Cubs infielders Tinkers and Evers chased down the ball and stepped on 2nd to cancel the tying run and the game ultimateley ended in a tie.
The game would later be replayed, with the Cubs winning and taking the pennant. The Cubs would then go on and win The World Series from the Tigers in five games. Is this why this trio was so immortalized in baseball history? This one play? Maybe, it took a lot of mental awareness to keep the rules of baseball in mind amongst all the chaos, so either Johnny Evers paid great attention to detail or Merkle was well endowed, I got jokes for days. This mini dynasty of the Cubs would take 4 pennants and 2 titles during this trio’s tenure, so that could be it too. The popularity.
The 2017 Cubs double play combination produces individual performances that is something to marvel at, whether it’s Baez’s sweeping no look tags, to Russell’s out of nowhere stops and snags, as well as Rizzo’s Spider-Man creativity to rob a hitter of another life at the plate. It’s all pretty special to watch and spurs the excitement of an intricate double play between the three of them when given the opportunity.
We witnessed a little taste of these three together last year, mainly during the playoffs, because of Baez’s breakout performance. Maddon rode Baez’s hot hand at second base throughout the playoffs, but there’s still a question on how much they’ll be a trio on the field together this year, as I assume the clutch master; Ben Zobrist, is ticketed for second base at times this year too, but I’m sure that happened with the 1908 team as well.
Tinkers, Evers and Chance really didn’t turn a plethora of double plays in the 10 years they played together, so maybe it was their style and flash that brought attention? Sounds familiar to today, but I wouldn’t know. I’m not that old, nor can I go back on YouTube like I have so many times with today’s infield and replay the moment. Back then there wasn’t even a thing called a tube and video recorders were about 10 years off. Let’s not forget that the first pennant in 70 years was clinched on a twin killing by these three.
Can you compare the trios? Not really. The only comparisons would be the fact that they both had success on the field and won a World Series and that Rizzo and Chance were both leaders at first base, but even that’s a little off because Frank Chance was part manager. The baseball intelligence of these men is on point, but I would think that today’s infield has way more talent. Tinkers and company spent their off seasons farming and finding any means possible to support their families and during the season played with a bonafide racist named Cobb, that slid spikes up every chance he could get.
Today’s trio spends their offseason in warm climates and on talk shows. Am I complaining? Hell no, I would’ve paid for their trips after what these boys did for the Cubs community. The generational gap is too wide to compare numbers or things like that, but the dynasty and popularity is there.
In retrospect the point that I’m really trying to make is not to compare these players, but the simple fact that this team’s popularity is there for the same rhetoric, it’s the consensus of these three being the future of double plays for this organization that’s intriguing. It’s because they broke a 108-year-old curse right? Of course, but I’m talking more than that, stuff that comes from the minds of Ken Burns, W. P. Kinsella and Bernard Malamud. Stuff that’s burnt deep down inside your soul and filed away in the depths of baseball lore, where baseball fans get so sick of seeing this Cubs team beat them and doing it in a remarkable fashion it drives them mad.
Maybe that’s what drove the author of this famous poem to write the words he did, although legend has it the poem was written by the Giant’s fan just to fill the needed space in his sports column, but the words came from somewhere, and the poem takes on an overall depressing tone towards the trio, maybe ole P. Adams was fed up with his team losing to this powerful Cubs squad, but can’t you see that in today’s Cubs too?
One of the most popular franchises in baseball on the verge of a dynasty with their young talent, while the rest of baseball voices their anger towards it. Where would baseball’s next “sad lexicon” come from, the hatred jealousy of a Cardinals’ or Pirates’ beat writer? Perhaps. We already know the 2016 team is going to be etched in baseball history for their amazing feat, so now is the time to continue the dynasty and add to the storied literature of baseball.
Ross Adams is a loyal Cubs fan from the Great state of North Carolina. When he is not singing the praises of his beloved Cubbies, he might be writing his own sweet song down South. Follow on Twitter Ross Adams
