Lew Riggs

Lewis Sidney Riggs

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 175 lb.
• School University of North Carolina
• High School Mebane High School
• Debut April 28, 1934
• Final Game April 16, 1946
• Born April 22, 1910 in Mebane, NC USA
• Died August 12, 1975 in Durham, NC USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Infielder Lew Riggs spent five years in the minor leagues of the St. Louis Cardinals organization (1930-1934) and was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds on November 3, 1934 for $30,000. Lew spent six seasons with the Reds (1935-1940) with 1935 being his most productive year when he hit at a .278 average with 8 home runs and held down the hot corner for 135 games at a .942 fielding percentage. Riggs was strong again in 1936 and was chosen for the National League All-Star team. Lew was a .292 hitter in 41 games in 1940, the year the Reds won the pennant and beat the American League Detroit Tigers for the World Series title.

On December 3, 1940 the Reds traded Riggs to the Brooklyn Dodgers for Pep Young. Lew hit a career high .305 in 1941 in 77 games and came back with another strong year in 1942 with a .278 average in 70 games for the Dodgers. Lew then enlisted in the United States Air Force on October 26, 1942 and missed the next three seasons (1943-1945) during World War II. On his return from military service, Lew was released by the Dodgers on April 27, 1946 and this was the end of his major league time. Riggs finished up with a career .262 hitting average and 28 home runs while appearing in 760 games during his ten active years in the major leagues.

Lew was 36 in 1946 but decided he could still play and spent five more years (1946-1950) in the high minors having his best season with the St. Paul Saints of the American Association in 1947, hitting at a .315 clip with 11 homers in 115 games. Riggs bowed out of baseball in 1950 at the age of 40 with 10 minor league seasons under his belt. His stat sheet shows that he hit for a .289 average with 111 home runs while appearing in 1,050 games during his minor league career.

Riggs died on August 12, 1975 in the veterans hospital at Durham, NC, at age 65.

Notable Achievements

• NL All-Star (1936)
• Won a World Series with the Cincinnati Reds in 1940

Further Reading

• Bob Webster: "Lew Riggs", in Charles F. Faber, ed.: The 1934 St. Louis Cardinals: The World Champion Gas House Gang, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2014, pp. 202-. ISBN 978-1-933599-731

Related Sites

• Lew Riggs at the SABR Bio Project
• Baseball In Wartime