Billy Evans
William George Evans (February 10, 1884 – January 23, 1956), nicknamed "the Boy Umpire", was an American umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB) who worked in the American League from 1906 to 1927. He became, at age 22, the youngest umpire in major league history, and later became the youngest to officiate in the World Series at age 25.
Billy Evans | |
|---|---|
Evans in 1914 | |
| Born | February 10, 1884 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | January 23, 1956 (aged 71) Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Baseball umpire |
| Years active | 1906–1927 |
| Spouse |
Hazel Baldwin (m. 1908) |
| Children | Robert |
|
Baseball career | |
| Member of the National | |
| Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1973 |
| Election method | Veterans Committee |
Upon his retirement at age 43, his 3,319 career games ranked fifth in major league history; his 1,757 games as a home plate umpire ranked third in AL history, and remain the eighth-most by a major league umpire. He later became a key front office executive for the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers of MLB, the Cleveland Rams of the National Football League, and president of the minor league Southern Association.
In addition to his inside role in the sport, Evans authored countless articles, as well as two books, Umpiring from the Inside (1947) and Knotty Problems in Baseball (1950). He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, the third umpire ever selected.