Carson Bigbee

Carson Lee Bigbee
(Skeeter)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 157 lb.
• School University of Oregon
• High School Albany (OR) High School
• Debut August 25, 1916
• Final Game August 7, 1926
• Born March 31, 1895 in Lebanon, OR USA
• Died October 17, 1964 in Portland, OR USA

BR page

Biographical Information

“Carson Bigbee has no equal in the league as an outfielder, when one considers his intelligence, his ground-covering ability, his batting and his base running.” - Ed Cunningham, Boston Herald, June 13, 1922

Carson Bigbee was born in Oregon, attended the University of Oregon, and died in Oregon. His entire major league career, eleven seasons, was spent in Pittsburgh.

Carson attended college from 1913 to 1915, while his brother, Lyle, attended from 1912 until 1915 (Lyle later joined him on the Bucs for a 5 game cameo in [[1921 Pirates|1921). Carson came to the majors in 1916, in the dead-ball era, hitting .250 while the Pirates hit .240 as a team. He played mostly second base as a rookie, but thereafter was primarily a left fielder. He did not show much power in the dead-ball years, but he stole some bases and his batting averages were always above the team averages. When the lively ball era started in 1920, his batting average went up; he started to hit triples and more doubles and he kept stealing bases. Carson's .350 average in 1922 was 4th in the league, and he was in the top 5 in the league in triples three times. He was in the top 5 in the league in stolen bases three times as well. He led the league in singles twice, and finished 5th in the league in RBI in 1922.

After 1922, his production fell off notably, and he became a backup in his last few years. The baseballlibrary.com biography says he struggled with "illness and poor vision" the rest of his career. In the 1925 World Series, he came in as a pinch-hitter in the 8th inning of the 7th game to bat against the Washington Senators' Walter Johnson. He hit a double and drove in a run. After his playing career, he managed the Springfield Sallies in the 1948 AAGPBL to a last-place finish, and in the 1949 AAGPBL guided the Muskegon Lassies.

Notable Achievements

• 2-time NL Singles Leader (1921 & 1922)
• 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 2 (1921 & 1922)
• 200 Hits Seasons: 2 (1921 & 1922)
• Won a World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1925

Records Held

• Most at bats, extra inning game, 11, 8/22/17 (tied)

Related Sites

• Carson Bigbee at the SABR Bio Project
• Find-A-Grave Memorial for Carson Bigbee