Who or what does 'tinker to evers to chance' refer to?

Answer 1

The double play combination of the Chicago Cubs. New York sports writer, Franklin Pierce Adams, (who wrote for the New York Evening Mail I think) wrote a short poem in 1910 titled "Baseball's Sad Lexicon" :

These are the saddest of possible words:

"Tinker to Evers to Chance."

Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,

Tinker and Evers and Chance.

Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,

Making a Giant hit into a double-

Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:

"Tinker to Evers to Chance."

Joe Tinker was the shortstop, Johnny Evers played second base, and Frank Chance was the fist baseman..