Bobby Lowe played for the Boston Beaneaters for twelve seasons, where he was known for his steady play at the plate and in the field. Playing in the 1890’s, you wouldn’t expect much of a power game, and while Lowe was not one to break that mold, he did have a game for the ages in 1894 when he collected four Home Runs in a Game, making him the first baseball player to ever do so. That was a year where he had a career high in Home Runs (17), Batting Average (.346), and On Base Percentage (.401), and had there been an MVP award that year, he would have received a handful of votes for certain.
Lowe collected 1,608 Hits and ranked in the top ten in Defensive bWAR four times as a Beaneater, and is arguably one of the most consistent players in franchise history.
We go back to the 1800’s for our next selection with John Morrill, who was a competent hitter who had 1,247 Hits for the Beaneaters, but it was his versatility on defense that made him exceptionally valuable. Morrill played Second Base, Third Base, First Base, Shortstop, and Outfield over his career, and regardless of the position, he did it very well. Morrill was not a star in his time, but he was one of the first players of note whose incredible value did not always show up on a stat sheet.
Darrell Evans had a very good career that began in Atlanta, where he was named an All-Star in 1973. Evans arrived as a Rule 5 Pick from the Athletics in 1968, and he would work his way slowly to become the team’s starting Third Baseman. Evans cemented himself as the starting Third Baseman in 1972, and in the next two seasons, he would lead the National League in Walks while putting up good power numbers. In his 1973 season, Evans hit 41 Home Runs with 104 Runs Batted In, and it was as a Brave that he posted his best defensive numbers.
Evans later played for the San Francisco Giants and the Detroit Tigers, helping them win the 1984 World Series. He returned for one final year in Atlanta before he retired in 1990.