Repack Haiku #445 (Dwight Evans)

Back in Double-A

Manager called him "Dewey"

Rhymed with two teammates

 

1987 Donruss #129 Dwight Evans

 

The history of a nickname, per an interview with Evans:

It started way back when I was in Double A. The manager was Ron Locke, good guy, good manager. He gave Don Newhauser the nickname “Newie.” Then there was another guy on the team - I can’t remember his full name - but his name was Louis so Ron called him “Louie.” Somewhere along the line he called me “Dewey,” so it became “Newie, Louie and Dewey.” It followed me all the way up to the big leagues.

I remember one of the first games of my career at Fenway back in 1972, I was playing left field. We were playing the Tigers and we were fighting for first place. Dick McAuliffe hit a high fly ball to me, and the TV announcer, I think it was Curt Gowdy, said, “and there’s a fly ball to left to Dewey Evans.” Well, I lost the ball in the sun. Never saw it. It landed 20 feet behind me. We ended up losing the game 2-1. After the game I was talking to my father and I said, “Dad, I can’t believe I lost that ball like that.” He said “Never mind that Dwight. What’s with all this Dewey stuff?” (Laughs). I told him, “Dad, if you could have heard what those fans out in left field were calling me after I let that fly ball drop, believe me, Dewey would sound real good right now. (Laughs again).

But it’s a nickname that really stuck. Everyone still calls me Dewey. Even my wife. 

Hopefully someday, "Dewey" will get his plaque in the Hall of Fame. His 67.2 WAR is 15th among right fielders - higher than Ichiro, Dave Winfield, and Vladimir Guerrero among others!