Top 5 Displaced Homegrown Red Sox Players in History
RF, Dwight Evans | 65.4 WAR in Boston
Much like Tom Brady, Dwight Evans spent the better part of two decades with one team: the Boston Red Sox. As a matter of fact, Evans played 19-years in front of the Fenway Faithful before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 1991.
With Boston, Evans wasn’t one of those once-in-a-lifetime types of players. He was a workhorse who knew his place on the ballfield.
In 19 seasons with the Red Sox, Evans would be selected to THREE All-Star games, win EIGHT Gold Gloves and TWO Silver Slugger Awards. In all, his slash line in Boston was a respectable .272 / .370 / .470.
He was essentially what Paul O’Neill was for the New York Yankees throughout the ’90s; a “warrior.”
After a decent single season in Baltimore in 1991, a season that saw an increased batting average and OPS from his previous year, Evans decided to hang it up. 20-years is a long time for a ballplayer, and there’s nothing better than to see a player walk away with some semblance of dignity and competency on the field.
Evans would miss making it to Cooperstown after failing to make the threshold in 1999. He would appear on the Modern Era Ballot 20-years later, but again fail to garner the votes necessary to be inducted.
In Red Sox history, he is viewed as a legend. A legend not worthy of a proper sendoff in the uniform he wore for 19 of his 20 years in baseball.