He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1902 through 1917 for the Chicago Cubs, Boston Braves, and Philadelphia Phillies.

After playing for the local minor league baseball team for one season, Frank Selee, manager of the Cubs, purchased Evers's contract and soon made him his starting second baseman.

Evers helped lead the Cubs to four National League pennants, including two World Series championships.

Evers was a part of a great double-play combination with Joe Tinker and Frank Chance, which was immortalized as "Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance" in the poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon".

Evers reportedly weighed less than 100 pounds (45 kg), and opposing fans thought he was a part of a comedic act.

[1] Frank Selee, manager of the Chicago Cubs, scouted Evers's teammate, pitcher Alex Hardy.

[1] Only three players in the National League (NL) were younger than Evers: Jim St. Vrain, Jimmy Sebring, and Lave Winham.

[1] In his month-long tryout with the Cubs, Evers batted .222 without recording an extra-base hit and played inconsistent defense.

[1] However, Lowe's injury did not properly heal by spring training in 1903, allowing Evers to win the starting job for the 1903 season.

[13] The Cubs repeated as NL champions in 1907, and won the 1907 World Series over the Detroit Tigers, four games to none, as Evers batted 7-for-20 (.350).

[1] Team owner Charles W. Murphy named Evers manager in 1913, signing him to a five-year contract, succeeding Chance.

[1] After the 1913 season, Evers was offered $100,000 ($3,082,828 in current dollar terms) to jump to the Federal League, but he opted to take less money to remain with the Cubs.

[30] Not receiving another offer from an MLB team, Evers traveled to Paris as a member of the Knights of Columbus to promote baseball in France.

[3] However, Evers suffered from appendicitis during the season, missing time during the year,[5] and the White Sox opened up a managerial search when Chance died in September.

Fuchs had no experience as a field manager,[39] and so Evers became captain of the Braves, directing the team during the game and dealing with umpires.

[40] Evers and fellow coach Hank Gowdy played in one game in the 1929 season, coming into the bottom of the ninth inning on October 6, 1929.

[42] Evers remained a coach for the Braves under Bill McKechnie, who succeeded Fuchs as field manager in 1930, and served in the role through 1932.

[47] His son, John J. Evers, Jr., served as a Lieutenant in World War II, assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations.

[55] He also worked as superintendent of Bleecker Stadium in Albany[56][57] and spent time teaching baseball to sandlot players.

[61] Evers died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1947 at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany,[1][59] and is buried in Saint Mary's Cemetery in Troy.

The ball used in the Merkle play was sold at an auction in the 1990s for $27,500, making it one of the four most valuable baseballs based on purchase price.