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.

Talk about being forgotten.  Darrell Evans is one of the few eligible players to hit more than 400 Home Runs and not get elected to the Hall of Fame.  He actually never made it past the first ballot.  He only made the All-Star Team twice.  He was a great fielder but Mike Schmidt won all the Gold Gloves at third.  He won a World Series with Detroit but was overshadowed by Whitaker, Trammell, Morris, and Hernandez.  A lot of this may have happened because he had a lifetime Batting Average of .248.

Darrell Evans did get a lot of notoriety for being the oldest player to ever win a Home Run crown when he belted 40 at the age of 38.  He was always a consistent power hitter, but received a lot of flak from amateur statisticians for his low Batting Average.  Those who saw that forgot to see how often Darrell Evans earned free passes as he walked an awful lot.  This was not due to pitchers intentionally walking him, but to a very keen and underappreciated batting eye.  Evans is currently twelfth all-time in the Bases on Balls category.

If Darrell Evans had a Batting Average just ten points higher, would it make a huge difference?  Probably, as the sub .250 career average really hampers what was a great and consistent career.  He has been called one of the most underrated players in baseball history.  It is hard to argue that statement.