| Bobby Higginson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Higginson (center) in 2002 .jpg) | |||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: August 18, 1970 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
| |||
| MLB debut | |||
| April 26, 1995, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| May 5, 2005, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .272 | ||
| Home runs | 187 | ||
| Runs batted in | 709 | ||
| Teams | |||
Robert Leigh Higginson (born August 18, 1970) is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Detroit Tigers where he wore the number 4.
Amateur career
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Higginson attended Frankford High School and played college baseball at Temple University. In 1991, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[1] He was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 18th round of the 1991 MLB Draft, but opted not to sign. The following year he was drafted by the Tigers in the 12th round of the 1992 MLB Draft.
Professional career
Higginson made his major league debut in 1995, and played 130 games for the Tigers. He batted .320 in 1996 and .300 in 2000, scored over 100 runs in 2000 and drove in over 100 runs in 1997 and 2000. His career high of 30 home-runs came also in 2000. He twice led the Majors in outfield assists, and also led all American League left fielders in putouts in 2000 (305) and 2001 (321), although he never won a Gold Glove for his fielding. He was never named to an All-Star team.
On June 30 and July 1, 1997, Higginson tied a major league record by hitting four home runs in four consecutive at bats (note, there were some walks interspersed) -- three on the first day, and then another in the first inning of the second day.[2]
Higginson was named "Tiger of the Year" by the Detroit chapter of the BBWAA in 1997 and 2000. Since the award's inception in 1965, ten players have been named "Tiger of the Year" on multiple occasions: Higginson, Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Travis Fryman, Cecil Fielder, Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, Kirk Gibson, Ron LeFlore, and Denny McLain.[3][4]
An elbow injury limited Higginson to 10 games in 2005, which ended up being his final season. He was granted free agency on October 31, and he retired at the age of 35. He ended his career never having played on a team that had a winning season.
Higginson is also known for breaking up a no-hitter in the ninth inning and two out on a game in Toronto on September 27, 1998, with a pinch-hit home run.[5] The pitcher, future Hall of Famer Roy Halladay, was making his second ever appearance, and ended up winning his first career game, 2–1.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise
References
- ^ "Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League" (PDF). capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
- ^ "Today in Baseball". Washington Post. July 1, 2008. p. E5.
- ^ "Tigers Awards". Detroit Tigers. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
- ^ "Tigers Awards". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
- ^ "Box Score, Detroit at Toronto, Sept 27, 1998". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)