Books and articles about Pinky Higgins

Signed out of the University of Texas, for a dozen years Higgins was a hard-hitting, steady-fielding third baseman. Especially dangerous with men on base, he twice drove in 106 runs. Higgins set a ML record when he hit safely in 12 consecutive at-bats in 1938. He hit .333 in the 1940 World Series with the Tigers and handled a record ten chances at third base in Game Four. After playing in all seven games of the 1946 WS with the Red Sox, Higgins retired.

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A low-key approach and patience with young players made Higgins a popular manager in the minors and later with the Red Sox. In 1955, his first of eight seasons managing Boston, he was named TSN Manager of the Year. His (C-h)h)h)best showings were third-place finishes in 1957-58. Higgins also served as Red Sox vice president and GM, and later was an Astro scout. (JL)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » July 10, 1920: After banging out 11 straight hits, Tris Speaker is stopped by Tom Zachary of Washington. It's the record until Pinky Higgins of the Red Sox racks up 12 in a row in 1938. Speaker will hit .388 for the season. » August 6, 1933: A's 3B Pinky Higgins hits for the cycle in a 12-8 win over the Senators. » July 17, 1934: Although Bob Johnson, Jimmie Foxx, and Pinky Higgins hit successive HRs in the fourth inning, St. Louis Browns P Jack Knott perseveres to beat the A's 7-4. » December 9, 1936: The Red Sox trade Bill Werber to Philadelphia for Pinky Higgins. » May 2, 1938: Pinky Higgins equals the 2-day-old ML mark for errors by a 3B, making four for Boston against Philadelphia. But Pinky knocks in two as the Sox route the A's, 13–1, behind Johnny Marcum. » June 21, 1938: Red Sox 3B Pinky Higgins extends his consecutive-hit string to 12, with eight hits in a doubleheader split with Detroit. He is 4-for-4 in each game, a Boston win in the opener, 8–3. Detroit wins the nitecap, 5–4. with Rudy York catching both games. Tomorrow, Pinky will strike out against Vern Kennedy in his first at bat ending the streak. » December 15, 1938: The Red Sox send Pinky Higgins and P Archie McKain to the Tigers for pitchers Eldon Auker and Jake Wade, and OF Chet Morgan. The Sox also ship OF Ben Chapman to the Indians in exchange for P Denny Galehouse and SS Tom Irwin. » February 15, 1940: The Tiger roster lists Hank Greenberg as an OF. The willingness of the team's leading power hitter to switch, at a contract boost, from 1B allows manager Del Baker to find a position for Rudy York. Also on the list are Dick Bartell, picked up from the Cubs for Billy Rogell, and Pinky Higgins, who had been shopped around. The four, along with Barney McCosky and Charlie Gehringer, produce the stuff that will move the Tigers from fifth to first, although its .588 mark will be as low as that of any pennant-winner yet. » May 20, 1940: Pinky Higgins clouts three successive homers and drives in seven runs to lead Detroit to a 10–7 victory over the leading Red Sox. Pinky's first two clouts come off Lefty Grove, and the last off Jack Wilson, who is charged with the loss. Jimmie Foxx hits his 10th homer of the year, a 5th inning grand slam, and Lefty Grove homers in the 2nd. » May 6, 1946: The Red Sox sweep two games from the Browns in a postponed twinbill, with Boo Ferriss winning the opener 7–5 behind Ted Williams three RBIs. In the 8th inning of the opener, with George Metkovich on first, Johnny Pesky grounds out on a hit-and-run. He had hit safely 11 times up, one shy of Pinky Higgins major-league record hitting streak. Manager Joe Cronin said Pesky had called the play on his own, and he would have had him hitting away. In the nitecap, Williams scores the winning run in the 9th on Dom DiMaggio's RBI single, and the Sox Joe Dobson comes away with a 5–4 win. Dom will drive in a record-tying 84 runs hitting in the leadoff spot (87 altogether). The Sox have now won 11 in a row and are three games in front of the Yankees. » May 18, 1946: In a great trade for Detroit, the Tigers acquire 3B George Kell from the A's for popular hometown outfielder Barney McCosky. McCosky, back from the war, is hitting just .198. The Tigers then sell veteran 3B Pinky Higgins to the Red Sox. » May 4, 1956: The National Braille Press presents to manager Pinky Higgins the Red Sox 1956 schedule, printed in Braille for the first time. » June 14, 1959: Boston manager Pinky Higgins benches Ted Williams in a scheduled doubleheader with Kansas City. The Splinter, hitting just .175, has been slowed by injuries. Williams will pinch hit in the next two games. The Sox win 6–1 with cold and rain postponing game 2. » July 3, 1959: Boston fires manager Pinky Higgins, replacing him tomorrow with Billy Jurges. Coach Rudy York takes over for today's game. » June 10, 1960: The Red Sox fire manager Billy Jurges, who left the team on June eight reportedly because of illness. Del Baker will be the interim manager. Tomorrow, the Sox will hire Pinky Higgins as the regular manager. It'll be Pinky's second tour of duty as Sox skipper.