Pinky Higgins
(Redirected from Mike Higgins)
Michael Franklin Higgins
(Pinky)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 1", Weight 185 lb.
- School University of Texas at Austin
- High School Adamson High School
- Debut June 25, 1930
- Final Game September 29, 1946
- Born May 27, 1909 in Red Oak, TX USA
- Died March 21, 1969 in Dallas, TX USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Pinky Higgins was a third baseman from 1930 to 1946, appearing in 1,802 games in 14 seasons and hitting .292. he was a three-time All-Star.
He first came up for 14 games with the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1930 season and hit .250 but went back to the minors and did not return to the big leagues until 1933. He became the A's starting third baseman that season and hit .314 with 13 homers (and a career-high 12 triples) with 99 RBIs in 152 games. He made the All-Star team in his second season, 1934 for the second edition of the Mid-Summer Classic when he hit .330 with 16 homers and 90 RBIs. He would remain a starter until 1944, with stints with the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers in addition to the A's. He was traded straight up for fellow third baseman Billy Werber following the 1936 season, then Boston sent him to Detroit after the 1938 season in a five-player deal in which Boston received pitcher Elden Auker and two others. He never led the American League in any statistical category, but received votes for the MVP Award on five separate occasions, drove in over 100 runs twice, was in double figures in homers eight times, with a high of 23 in 1935. He also drew a good number of walks, as witnessed by a career OBP of .370. He returned to the All-Star Game in 1936 and in 1944 All-Star Game. He had been on the roster of the A's when they won the 1930 World Series but did not play in any games. However, he was the starting third baseman for the Tigers when they lost to the Cincinnati Reds in the 1940 World Series. He went 8 for 24 with 3 doubles, a triple and a homer in the seven games.
From June 19-21, 1938, with the Red Sox, he got a hit in 12 consecutive at-bats to tie a major league record. This was over a span of four games, all part of a pair of doubleheaders, and the streak also included a pair of walks. Johnny Kling had had 12 hits in 1902, and two more players Walt Dropo in 1952 and José Miranda in 2024, would later match him, but no one had ever topped this.
He entered the Navy in March 1945 and was discharged in February 1946, missing a full season. When he returned in 1946, he was no longer a regular with the Tigers, who had won the 1945 World Series in his absence, hitting just .217 in 18 games. He was purchased by the Red Sox on May 19th and finished the season with them, hitting .275 in 64 games. The Red Sox won the pennant and his final games were in the 1946 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals: he played all seven games and went 5 for 24 with a double.
After his playing career, he managed in the Boston Red Sox's minor league system from 1947 through 1954 and then was promoted to manager of the major league team beginning with the 1955 season. He had stops with the Class B Roanoke Red Sox (1947-1948), the AA Birmingham Barons (1949-1950), and the AAA Louisville Colonels (1951-1954).
Higgins was the GM of the Boston Red Sox from 1963 to 1965.
After his baseball career ended, Higgins served two months in a Louisiana prison for negligent homicide. While driving under the influence of alcohol, he killed a highway worker, and he was later sentenced to four years in jail. Higgins died of a heart attack at age 59, days after being paroled.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- 3-time AL All-Star (1934, 1936 & 1944)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1935)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 2 (1937 & 1938)
- Won a World Series with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1930 (he did not play in the World Series)
| Preceded by Lou Boudreau |
Boston Red Sox Manager 1955-1959 |
Succeeded by Billy Jurges |
| Preceded by Del Baker |
Boston Red Sox Manager 1960-1962 |
Succeeded by Johnny Pesky |
| Preceded by Joe Cronin |
Boston Red Sox General Manager 1963-1965 |
Succeeded by Dick O'Connell |
Year-By-Year Managerial Record[edit]
Records Held[edit]
- Consecutive hits, 12, 1938 (tied)
Further Reading[edit]
- Mark Armour: "Mike Higgins", in Mark Armour and Bill Nowlin, eds.: Red Sox Baseball in the Days of Ike and Elvis: The Red Sox of the 1950s, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2012, pp. 340-347. ISBN 978-1933599243
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated:
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE
Your All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.