Bobby Higginson was born on Tuesday, August 18, 1970, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Higginson was 24 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 26, 1995, with the Detroit Tigers. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Bobby Higginson baseball stats page.
"(Bobby) Higginson credits former Detroit star Kirk Gibson for much of his success. Gibson was in his final season when Higginson was a rookie in 1995, and they had adjoining lockers. 'Gibby taught me how to think in the outfield, on the base paths and in the on-deck circle,' Higginson says. 'He was in my ear all season.' He still is. While in an early-season slump a year ago, Higginson left a message on Gibson's answering machine: 'It's me, Gibby. I'm terrible. I'm hitting .230.' Gibson's advice: 'Shut up and stop the negativity. Visualize how you felt in '96 when you were really rakin'. You've got to feel the feel.' After watching a video of his greatest hits, Higginson felt it. The next game he swatted a homer off the third deck of Tiger Stadium. A day later he hit three doubles, and he never looked back." - Lidz, Frank. Sports Illustrated: FROM GIBBY TO HIGGY IT'S NO COINCIDENCE THAT BOBBY HIGGINSON IS KIRK GIBSON'S HEIR APPARENT. 24 August 1998.
Bobby HigginsonBobby Higginson Autograph on a 1996 Leaf Signature Series (Bronze) |
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Biographical Data | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Bobby HigginsonBobby Higginson Pitching Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
- | - | Did Not Pitch | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Career | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
Bobby HigginsonBobby Higginson Hitting Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
1995 | 25 | Tigers | 131 | 410 | 61 | 92 | 17 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 43 | 62 | 3 | 107 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 5 | .224 | .329 | .393 |
1996 | 26 | Tigers | 130 | 440 | 75 | 141 | 35 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 81 | 65 | 7 | 66 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 7 | .320 | .404 | .577 |
1997 | 27 | Tigers | 146 | 546 | 94 | 163 | 30 | 5 | 27 | 3 | 101 | 70 | 2 | 85 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 10 | .299 | .379 | .520 |
1998 | 28 | Tigers | 157 | 612 | 92 | 174 | 37 | 4 | 25 | 1 | 85 | 63 | 2 | 101 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 16 | .284 | .355 | .480 |
1999 | 29 | Tigers | 107 | 377 | 51 | 90 | 18 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 46 | 64 | 2 | 66 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | .239 | .351 | .382 |
2000 | 30 | Tigers | 154 | 597 | 104 | 179 | 44 | 4 | 30 | 0 | 102 | 74 | 6 | 99 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | .300 | .377 | .538 |
2001 | 31 | Tigers | 147 | 541 | 84 | 150 | 28 | 6 | 17 | 0 | 71 | 80 | 3 | 65 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 8 | .277 | .367 | .445 |
2002 | 32 | Tigers | 119 | 444 | 50 | 125 | 24 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 63 | 41 | 3 | 45 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 8 | .282 | .345 | .417 |
2003 | 33 | Tigers | 130 | 469 | 61 | 110 | 13 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 52 | 59 | 3 | 73 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 12 | .235 | .320 | .369 |
2004 | 34 | Tigers | 131 | 448 | 63 | 110 | 24 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 64 | 70 | 5 | 84 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 10 | .246 | .353 | .388 |
2005 | 35 | Tigers | 10 | 26 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .077 | .111 | .077 |
Career | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | ||
11 Years | 1,362 | 4,910 | 736 | 1,336 | 270 | 33 | 187 | 4 | 709 | 649 | 36 | 796 | 12 | 52 | 37 | 83 | .272 | .358 | .455 |
Bobby HigginsonBobby Higginson Fielding Stats |
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Team | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
1995 Tigers | LF | 66 | 58 | 1,551 | 157 | 2.4 | 155 | 148 | 7 | 2 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .987 | 2.70 |
1995 Tigers | RF | 67 | 55 | 1,482 | 107 | 1.6 | 105 | 99 | 6 | 2 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .981 | 1.91 |
1996 Tigers | CF | 19 | 12 | 333 | 34 | 1.8 | 33 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .971 | 2.68 |
1996 Tigers | LF | 63 | 54 | 1,422 | 101 | 1.6 | 98 | 94 | 4 | 3 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .970 | 1.86 |
1996 Tigers | RF | 57 | 46 | 1,254 | 110 | 1.9 | 105 | 100 | 5 | 5 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .955 | 2.26 |
1997 Tigers | CF | 2 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.25 |
1997 Tigers | LF | 105 | 90 | 2,427 | 218 | 2.1 | 212 | 195 | 17 | 6 | 6 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .972 | 2.36 |
1997 Tigers | RF | 57 | 51 | 1,305 | 97 | 1.7 | 94 | 91 | 3 | 3 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .969 | 1.94 |
1998 Tigers | LF | 17 | 17 | 453 | 29 | 1.7 | 28 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .966 | 1.67 |
1998 Tigers | RF | 136 | 136 | 3,588 | 298 | 2.2 | 293 | 277 | 16 | 5 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .983 | 2.20 |
1999 Tigers | RF | 88 | 87 | 2,277 | 181 | 2.1 | 178 | 176 | 2 | 3 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .983 | 2.11 |
2000 Tigers | LF | 145 | 144 | 3,769 | 334 | 2.3 | 327 | 308 | 19 | 7 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .979 | 2.34 |
2001 Tigers | LF | 142 | 142 | 3,646 | 339 | 2.4 | 331 | 321 | 10 | 8 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .976 | 2.45 |
2002 Tigers | LF | 117 | 116 | 3,007 | 263 | 2.2 | 256 | 241 | 15 | 7 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .973 | 2.30 |
2003 Tigers | CF | 1 | 1 | 24 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.13 |
2003 Tigers | RF | 117 | 115 | 2,990 | 257 | 2.2 | 252 | 248 | 4 | 5 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .981 | 2.28 |
2004 Tigers | RF | 115 | 110 | 2,938 | 242 | 2.1 | 236 | 223 | 13 | 6 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .975 | 2.17 |
2005 Tigers | LF | 1 | 1 | 27 | 3 | 3.0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 3.00 |
2005 Tigers | RF | 6 | 5 | 144 | 6 | 1.0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.13 |
Career | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
LF Totals | 656 | 622 | 16,302 | 1,444 | 2.2 | 1,410 | 1,335 | 75 | 34 | 15 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .976 | 2.34 | |
RF Totals | 643 | 605 | 15,978 | 1,298 | 2.0 | 1,269 | 1,220 | 49 | 29 | 6 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .978 | 2.14 | |
CF Totals | 22 | 13 | 369 | 36 | 1.6 | 35 | 35 | 0 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .972 | 2.56 | |
11 Years | 1,321 | 1,240 | 32,649 | 2,778 | 2.1 | 2,714 | 2,590 | 124 | 64 | 21 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .977 | 2.24 |
Bobby HigginsonBobby Higginson Miscellaneous Stats |
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Baserunning Statistics | Other Positions | Common Hitting Ratios | Common Pitching Ratios | |||||||||
Team | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
1995 Tigers | 6 | 4 | .600 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 29.3 | 3.8 | 9.5 | - | - | - |
1996 Tigers | 6 | 3 | .667 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 16.9 | 6.7 | 5.4 | - | - | - |
1997 Tigers | 12 | 7 | .632 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 20.2 | 6.4 | 5.4 | - | - | - |
1998 Tigers | 3 | 3 | .500 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 24.5 | 6.1 | 7.2 | - | - | - |
1999 Tigers | 4 | 6 | .400 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 31.4 | 5.7 | 8.2 | - | - | - |
2000 Tigers | 15 | 3 | .833 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 19.9 | 6.0 | 5.9 | - | - | - |
2001 Tigers | 20 | 12 | .625 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 31.8 | 8.3 | 7.6 | - | - | - |
2002 Tigers | 12 | 5 | .706 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 44.4 | 9.9 | 7.0 | - | - | - |
2003 Tigers | 8 | 8 | .500 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 33.5 | 6.4 | 9.0 | - | - | - |
2004 Tigers | 5 | 2 | .714 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 37.3 | 5.3 | 7.0 | - | - | - |
2005 Tigers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 5.2 | 26.0 | - | - | - |
Career | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
11 Years | 91 | 53 | .632 | 65 | 2 | 60 | 26.3 | 6.2 | 6.9 | - | - | - |
Bobby HigginsonBobby Higginson Miscellaneous Items of Interest |
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Team | Roster | Uniform Numbers | Salary | All-Star | World Series |
1995 Detroit Tigers | 4 | $109,000.00 | - | - |
1996 Detroit Tigers | 4 | $170,000.00 | - | - |
1997 Detroit Tigers | 4 | $375,000.00 | - | - |
1998 Detroit Tigers | 4 | $2,425,000.00 | - | - |
1999 Detroit Tigers | 4 | $3,825,000.00 | - | - |
2000 Detroit Tigers | 4 | $4,425,000.00 | - | - |
2001 Detroit Tigers | 4 | $5,325,000.00 | - | - |
2002 Detroit Tigers | 4 | $5,850,000.00 | - | - |
2003 Detroit Tigers | 4 | $11,850,000.00 | - | - |
2004 Detroit Tigers | 4 | $8,850,000.00 | - | - |
2005 Detroit Tigers | 4 | $8,850,000.00 | - | - |
Bobby Higginson Stats by Baseball Almanac |
Robert Leigh Higginson was a Major League Baseball player who spent his entire career with the Detroit Tigers (1995-2005). Bobby, his nickname, was drafted in the twelfth round of the 1982 Baseball Draft, after playing three collegiate seasons at Temple University, where he hit thirty career chome runs — the most by any Owl!
Bobby Higginson Rookie Card | 1995 Bowman Baseball Card (#197)
Baseball Almanac Collection
Bobby Higginson had thirteen outfield assists during his rookie season (1995), the most from any American League outfielder. Ten of his fourteen home runs were hit before the All-Star break and when he finished his first campaign, the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association chose him as their Tiger Rookie of the Year!
Did you know that when Bobby Higginson increased his batting average from .224, in 1995, to .320 in 1996, it was the highest increase in American League history by a player with 100-or-more games played in back-to-back seasons?
Did you know that when Bobby Higginson hit three home runs in a game on June 30, 1997, it was the seventeenth instance in Tigers history? Did you know his seven RBI in that game was one shy of the team record, set originally by Harry Heilmann in 1928?
Did you know that Bobby Higginson hit a pinch-hit, ninth inning, two-out home run in the last game of the 1998 season (September 27, 1998), breaking up a no-hitter? Do you remember what Blue Jay was on the mound? [Answer]
Did you know that when Bobby Higginson hit a game tying home run on July 6, 1999, it was in the bottom of the ninth inning versus Mariano Rivera — the only game tying home run he surrendered to any batter that entire season!
Did you know that when Bobby Higginson hit three home runs in a game on June 24, 2000, it was the first time an opposing player hit three homers in a game in Jacobs Field history?
Did you know that Bobby Higginson swiped a career-high twenty-bases in 2001, and became just the third — joining Bill Bruton (1961) and Kirk Gibson (1984-1987) — left-handed hitting Tiger with 15-or-more home runs and 20-or-more stolen bases in a season?
Bobby Higginson ended his career in Detroit after getting surgery on his right elbow, but at the time of his retirement, he was in seventh place on the Tigers all-time list in games played in the outfield, eleventh place on their all-time walks list, twelfth all-time in home runs, thirteenth in extra-base hits, fourteenth in runs scored, and fifteenth in franchise history in total bases!