Baseball
The Spokane Press, September 5, 1910
“Tinker to Evers to Chance.”
If you need a good bracer to start you right on the day’s job, just say this over to yourself—
“Tinker to Evers to Chance, Tinker to Evers to Chance.”
You have seen the three mysterious words on the sport page “full oft,” as Shakespeare would say, and most of the papers now have that line stereotyped to slip in at a moment’s notice.
The fact of the matter is that the double-play triplets of the Chicago Cubs are astonishing the country with their marvelous run of double-play triplets of the Chicago Cubs are astonishing the country with their marvelous run of double plays, and if the Cubs cop the pennant, as they undoubtedly will, “Tinker to Evers to Chance” will be to blame for it. And then if they wheedle the Athletics out of the world flag, there will be something more in the paper about “Tinker to Evers to Chance.”
The three knights of the double-play preyed upon the mind of a New York writer until he simply had to rush into print with some poetry to get it off his rhest. That set some other near poets to scribbling, with the result thai the score in the poetry league now stands thusly:
These are the saddest of possible words:
“Tinker to Evers to Chance.”
This is the dope that has Grif in a
daze,
“Tinker to Evers to Chance.”
Cardinals, Dodgers and Doves, Phil
lies fairish,
All know the play that is neat if
not garish.
Know how their ambitious rallies
can perish,
“Tinker to Evers to Chance.”
Get down your coinc on the double
play kids,
“Tinker and Evers and Chance.”
trader the IMrates they’ve sllckered
the skids,
‘”Tinker and Evers and Chance.”
Not of the bonehoads whose noo
dles get twisted.
These with the foxes of balldom
are listed —
Grabbing ti pennant almost unas
sisted,
“Tinker and Evers and Chance.”
Aye, there Is dolor In Smoketown
at this:
“Tinker to Evers to Chance.”
Hut In Chicago it’s pretty fine bis,
“Tinker to Evers to Chance.”
Here are the regular Windy City
queries:
Hunting a pennat pole, ain’t they
the Pearys?
Think they will cop on the post
season series,
“Tinker and Evers and Chance.”
Chicago Tribune, July 15, 1910
