Bill Evers

From BR Bullpen

William Evers

  • Bats Right, Throws Right
  • Height 5' 10", Weight 210 lb.

BR Minors page

Biographical Information[edit]

Bill Evers was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the June 1975 amateur draft, the Cleveland Indians in the January 1976 amateur draft, and finally by the Chicago Cubs in June in 1976. He was a catcher and first baseman in the Cubs' system from 1976 to 1979, hitting .250.

Evers was the minor league catching instructor for the Cubs in 1980 and held the same post with the New York Yankees from 1981 to 1985. He coached the Clinton Giants in 1986 before beginning his managing career.

Evers managed the Durham Bulls for eight seasons and lead the team to six playoff berths since joining the International League in 1998. The first Triple-A manager the Bulls have ever known, he has led the Bulls to five South Division Titles, four Governor's Cup Finals berths and back-to-back Championships (2003-04). He is one of just six managers to lead his clubs to consecutive IL Crowns. In 1997, Evers' second year with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization, he led St. Petersburg to the best record in the Florida State League (81-56) and secured his third title when the D-Rays defeated Vero Beach in the finals. Prior to joining St. Pete., Evers managed the Rays' GCL entry in 1996.

The New York, NY native spent 19 years as a minor league skipper, having spent six years with the San Francisco Giants organization (1987-1992) and three seasons in the New York Yankees' chain (1993-1995). In 1995, Evers' only other season in the IL, he managed Columbus to a 71-68 record. Bill has led ten clubs to playoff berths and posted back-to-back Texas League Titles with Shreveport (1990 & 1991) - giving him five in his career. Evers has compiled a 1,381-1,206 record (.534) as a manager.

Evers was a bench coach for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2006-2007. He was a scout for the Rays in 2008-2009 and the minor league field coordinator (with Jim Hoff) in 2010-2011. In 2019, he returned to the majors as a coach on the staff of newly appointed Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, who had known him from their days together on the Devil Rays. His primary duty was as the catching coach. In June 2020, he and fellow coach Bob McClure were asked to sit out the season that was about to resume after being shut down by the coronavirus pandemic, due to concers over his health history. He resumed his duties in 2021 and retired following the 2022 season.

His son, Billy Evers, pitched in the Rays organization from 2004-2006.

Year-by-Year Managerial Record[edit]

Year Team League Record Finish Organization Playoffs Notes
1987 Clinton Giants Midwest League 72-67 4th San Francisco Giants Lost in 1st round
1988 Clinton Giants Midwest League 78-62 5th San Francisco Giants
1989 Shreveport Captains Texas League 75-61 2nd San Francisco Giants Lost in 1st round
1990 Shreveport Captains Texas League 65-68 6th San Francisco Giants League Champs
1991 Shreveport Captains Texas League 86-50 1st San Francisco Giants League Champs
1992 Phoenix Firebirds Pacific Coast League 66-78 7th San Francisco Giants
1993 Greensboro Hornets South Atlantic League 45-25 -- New York Yankees Replaced by Gary Denbo (40-31)
Albany-Colonie Yankees Eastern League 34-33 4th New York Yankees Lost in 1st round Replaced Mike Hart (36-35) on June 28
1994 Albany-Colonie Yankees Eastern League 71-70 5th New York Yankees
1995 Columbus Clippers International League 71-68 4th New York Yankees
1996 GCL Devil Rays Gulf Coast League 24-35 13th Tampa Bay Devil Rays
1997 St. Petersburg Devil Rays Florida State League 81-56 1st Tampa Bay Devil Rays League Champs
1998 Durham Bulls International League 80-64 3rd Tampa Bay Devil Rays Lost League Finals
1999 Durham Bulls International League 83-60 2nd Tampa Bay Devil Rays Lost League Finals
2000 Durham Bulls International League 81-62 4th Tampa Bay Devil Rays Lost in 1st round
2001 Durham Bulls International League 74-70 5th Tampa Bay Devil Rays
2002 Durham Bulls International League 80-64 5th Tampa Bay Devil Rays League Champs
2003 Durham Bulls International League 73-67 5th Tampa Bay Devil Rays League Champs
2004 Durham Bulls International League 77-67 4th Tampa Bay Devil Rays Lost in 1st round
2005 Durham Bulls International League 65-79 12th Tampa Bay Devil Rays
19 Seasons 1,381-1,206 5 League Championships

Related Sites[edit]