Bobby Higginson #4

2002

• Veteran had an average season, batting .282 in 119 games played...63 RBI were tied for second on team and 125 hits were third despite season being interrupted on two occasions due to injury.
• Like teammate Damion Easley, made his sixth consecutive Opening Day start for the Tigers on April 2 at Tampa Bay (3-LF, 3-RF).
• Started 117 games, all but one in left field...served as designated hitter on July 21 versus Minnesota.
• Collected career hit number 1,000 on April 13 at Minnesota, a double in the first inning off Eric Milton.
• Picked up his 100th career outfield assist on August 10 at Baltimore...finished the season with a total of 15 which was second in the majors behind teammate Robert Fick (21).
• Batted .366 (34x93) with runners in scoring position, which ranked seventh in the American League.
• Drove in a pair of runs and finished 2x5 with a double on April 3 at Tampa Bay.
• Drilled a two-run home run in the third inning on April 6 versus Cleveland, his first of the season.
• Batted lead-off the first eight games of the season...launched his third career lead-off home run on April 10 versus Chicago -- added a single and double and was hit by a pitch.
• Snapped an 0x18 skid with a single on April 19 at Chicago...his career-high hitless streak is 20 at-bats set in June of 1999.
• Finished 3x5 with a double, homer and a season-high four RBI on April 21 at Chicago.
• Missed two games with a bruised right knee suffered from fouling a pitch off of it on April 22 at Kansas City.
• Went 8x13 (.615) with four runs and four RBI in a three-game sweep versus Minnesota from April 26-28.
• Hit in 13 straight games from May 18-June 3, one shy of his career-high hitting streak set on three other occa- sions (last, April 18-May 13, 2001)...hit .388 (19x49) during the 13-game streak with nine runs and five RBI...six of the 13 games during streak were multi-hit efforts.
• Snapped 0x17 skid, going 3x5 on May 11 at Texas including a two-run home run and three RBI...was his sixth and final three-hit game, one better than three-hit game total from 2001.
• Did not play on May 18 versus Texas, was first non-injury related game off of the season.
• Drew a bases-loaded walk as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning on May 29 at Cleveland.
• Did not play on June 4 versus Boston due to removal of wisdom teeth.
• Left game in the eighth inning on June 8 versus Philadelphia with tightness in his left hamstring...missed three games and was placed on disabled list retroactive to June 9 with a pulled left hamstring.
• Finished the first half with a .288 batting average (60x208), 23 walks and 15 strikeouts.
• Activated from disabled list prior to game on July 11 versus Chicago...finished 0-4.
• Had a season-high four hits in an 8-5 win at Cleveland on July 26 -- scored four runs and collected a pair of RBI, including solo home run.
• Had multiple hits in five straight games from July 26-30, hitting .571 (12x21).
• Twenty-two of his 45 strikeouts (49 percent) came in the season's final two months (161 at-bats).
• Struggled in August, batting .240 (25x104) to see his batting average dip from .304 at beginning of month to .287 at the end.
• Had hit in 11-of-12 games (.318, 14x44) before going 0x4 on both September 6 and 7 at New York.
• Missed last 10 games of the season due to a strained abdominal muscle.
• Posted a .330 batting average (74x224) with seven home runs and 39 RBI against AL Central Division foes.
• Batted .241 (32x133) versus lefthanded pitching, his lowest mark since the 1996 season (.230).
• Was fifth-toughest batter to fan in the AL at once every 11.1 plate appearances.
• Tied for third in the American League with seven outfield errors...topped all AL left fielders with seven errors.
• Fifty runs scored were third-most on the team...Tigers were 5-2 when he scored two-or-more runs.
• Tigers were 19-27 in games in which he had an RBI.
• Batted .202 (25x124) with a home run and 11 RBI from the seventh inning on.

2001

• Signed a four-year contract extension with the Tigers on April 1, 2001...named AL Player of the Week for July 12-15, his third such award after receiving the honor twice in 2000...collected a career-high six triples...paced the team with a career-high 80 walks...was the only Tiger to post more walks than strikeouts (80:65)...was third in the AL with a 1.23 walks-to-strikeouts ratio.
• Hit safely in six of his first seven games (.320, 8x25) with two doubles, two homers and five RBI from April 3-10.
• Drilled his first home run of the season April 5 versus Minnesota, a solo shot...scored three runs.
• Drew six walks and stole two bases over four games April 5-8.
• Went 2x4 with a home run and a stolen base April 22 at Cleveland.
• Walked three times April 27 versus Tampa Bay and drove in a run on a sac fly...had three of Tigers four three- walk games this season.
• Launched a 14-game hitting streak on April 28, matching his career high and setting a team season-high...hit .364 (20x55) with four doubles, a triple, HR and six RBI April 28-May 13.
• Stole a base in back-to-back games May 2-3 at Texas...had a career-high 20 steals in 2001.
• Swiped two bases May 18 at Tampa Bay...one of two multi-steal efforts.
• Struck out only six times over 17 games in May while drawing 13 walks.
• Placed on the 15-day DL May 20 with a strained left rib cage.
• Activated from the DL June 5, going 1x5 with three walks (one intentional) and a sacrifice bunt at Boston.
• Drew at least one walk in seven straight games May 17-June 8 (11 total).
• Was 2x4 with three RBI, a walk and a stolen base June 6 at Boston.
• Was 3x4 with two RBI and two runs scored June 14 versus Pittsburgh.
• Did not record a strikeout in 12 straight games May 16-June 14.
• Posted a 10-game hitting streak June 19-29...went 14x37 (.378) with five doubles, two home runs and eight RBI.
• Ground into a double play for only the second time this season on June 18 versus the Yankees...would not ground into another until August 21 at Seattle, a span of 56 games.
• Went 4x8 with two doubles and a triple over two games July 6-7 versus the Cubs.
• Returned from the All-Star break with a four-hit game July 12 at St. Louis, one of four on the season...doubled and scored two runs.
• Was 2x4 with three RBI July 13 at St. Louis and 2x5 with three RBI July 15 at Cincinnati...homered in both games, including a three-run shot in the ninth that put the Tigers in the lead July 15.
• Rewarded for his efforts with the AL Player of the Week award for July 12-15...hit .500 (8x16) with two homers and seven RBI in four games.
• Turned in his second four-hit effort July 18 versus the Yankees -- had two RBI and a stolen base.
• Hit .439 (18x41) over his first 10 games after the break -- two doubles, a triple, three home runs and 14 RBI.
• Committed two errors July 24 at New York, his first two-error game since August 13, 1997.
• Hit in eight straight games August 2-10...drilled three doubles and a triple but drove in only one run (.367, 11x30).
• Went 2x3 with a double, triple and stolen base August 6 versus Oakland.
• Also doubled and tripled in his third four-hit game August 15 versus Anaheim...had only one extra-base hit, a dou- ble on August 23 at Seattle, over his next 27 games.

2000

• Enjoyed the best offensive season of his career in 2000, posting career-high and team-leading numbers in hits (179), runs (104), home runs (30) and RBI (102) while batting .300 and leading the majors with 19 outfield assists
• Joined Tony Clark and Damion Easley as the only three players to appear in the Tigersb starting lineup each of the past four Opening Days
• Hit safely in eight of his first nine games; reached base in 19-of-20 games April 5-30 including a string of 12 straight
• Doubled and hit his first two home runs of the season, both solo shots, April 23 against the White Sox as he went 4x4 with two RBI
• Recorded five multi-hit efforts in nine games April 23-May 2; drove in Brad Ausmus with a game-winning single April 30 against the White Sox
• Drilled a two-run homer, walked twice, scored three runs and notched a stolen base May 5 at Minnesota
• Served a five-game suspension May 10-16 for his part in an altercation with the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey on April 22
• Went 1x15 in the four games following his return before exploding for a 12x32 (.375) effort over the subsequent nine-game homestand with seven doubles, two home runs, 11 RBI, seven runs and seven walks
• Drove in four runs in consecutive games May 23-24 vs. Cleveland; combined with Dean Palmer for back-to-back homers in the fifth inning May 23 and was involved in four of the Tigers' seven back-to-back home run efforts on the season
• Scored the game-winning run June 4 against the Cubs on a bunt single from Shane Halter in the 12th inning
• Compiled a season-high 11-game hitting streak June 9-21 in which he hit .463 (19x41) with five home runs, three doubles, 13 RBI and 10 runs
• Earned AL Player of the Week Honors for June 12-18, going 12x22 (.455) with five homers and 12 RBI; when Tony Clark captured the AL award the following week, the pair became the first Tigers to win the honor in back-to-back weeks since 1986 when three Tigers -- Jack Morris (July 7), Kirk Gibson (July 14) and John Grubb (July 21) -- were AL award winners
• Tied his career-best and set a team season-high with seven RBI June 13 vs Toronto; went 4x4 with two three-run homers for his most RBI since collecting seven on June 30, 1997 vs. the Mets
• Had a streak of seven hits, including three homers, in seven consecutive at-bats snapped in the 5th inning on June 14 against Toronto
• Combined with Juan Gonzalez on back-to-back homers for the second time in three games June 16; doubled, homered and scored three runs June 17, both games against Cleveland. Finished the season batting .357 (15x42) with six doubles, six home runs and 17 RBI against the Indians
• Fueled the Tigersb 14-8 come-from-behind win in Game 2 at Cleveland June 24 with three two-run homers and six RBI; it marked his second career three-HR game (June 30,1997 vs. NYM) as he became the first visitor to hit three homers in a game at Jacobs Field
• Of nine hits June 20-25, seven went for extra-bases (four HR, three doubles); went 4x6 with a stolen base June 27 against the Yankees, his third four-hit effort and 18th multi-hit game. Scored the game-winning run in the 11th inning
• Named Tigers Player of the Month for June, batting .333 (33x99) with 25 runs, eight doubles, 10 home runs, 25 RBI and a .717 slugging percentage
• Notched four extra-base hits in four games July 1-4 (two HR, triple, double, four RBI); hit in eight-of-nine games on the road trip June 30-July 9 (11x39, .282)
• Had multi-hit efforts in five-of-eight games July 8-18, including three three-hit contests; went 3x4 with a double and a home run July 16 vs. Cincinnati
• Hit safely in 19-of-21 games June 30-July 23 (.353, 30x85); had three doubles in five games July 25-30
• Garnered Tigers Player of the Month honors for the second straight month in July; hit .296 (32x108) for the month with 10 doubles, five home runs and 19 RBI
• Posted five multi-hit games August 10-16 with three three-hit efforts; went 3x4 with a double and four RBI August 10 vs. Baltimore
• Hit .370 (10x27) on the six-game road trip August 11-16; was 8x14 in three games at Seattle including a 3x5 performance August 14 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored and another 3x5 night with a double and two runs August 15
• Strung together a seven- and an eight-game hitting streak in a span of 17 games; was 9x28 (.321) with a double, a triple, two home runs and six RBI in seven games August 22-29 and went 13x32 (.406) in eight games September 1-9 with three doubles
• Swiped two bases September 5 vs. Anaheim, establishing a new career-best with 12 and in his first multi-steal game since July 4, 1997 vs. Baltimore; would finish the season second to Juan Encarnacion (16) with 15 stolen bases
• Set a new career-high with his 38th double on September 9 vs. Anaheim after totaling 37 two-baggers in 1998; added his 39th the next day, going 3x4 at Toronto
• Drilled a three-run homer, his 26th, on September 12 at Chicago -- one shy of tying his career-best set in 1997; hit his 27th on September 20 vs. Chicago
• Hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games, with seven multi-hit games in that span
• Went 7x16 in four games at New York September 22-25 with a double, a homer and his 15th stolen base; added seven hits in three games at Kansas City September 26-28, including two home runs which brought his season total to a career-best 30 longballs
• Tied a personal best with his 174th hit September 29 vs. Minnesota, his 42nd double; tallied three doubles in his last three games for a career-high 44, just two shy of the team lead behind Deivi Cruz
• Went 3x4 in the Tigersb final game on October 1 vs. Minnesota, driving in three runs for a total of 102 on the season; marked just the second time in his career that he had posted 100+ RBI (101, 1997) and established a new career high
• Received the final AL Player of the Week award for the season (September 25-October 1); hit .500 (14x28) with three home runs, three doubles and 10 RBI. Was one of five players to win the award twice this season (Tim Salmon, Manny Ramirez, Carlos Delgado, Frank Thomas)
• Became the first Tigers player to finish with a .300 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 RBI since Norm Cash did so in 1961
• Led the majors with 19 outfield assists; also finished among the league leaders in doubles (T-5, 44) and extra-base hits (T-4, 78) and was the fourth-hardest batter to double up with 119.4 AB per GIDP (5GIDP/597AB)
• Has grounded into just seven double plays in the last two seasons (974 AB), an average of once every 139 at-bats
• Led the Tigers with 24 multi-RBI games, and posted 46 multi-hit games, third-most on the team; tied Dean Palmer for the team high with 102 RBI, and also led the team with 74 walks and 321 total bases -- the next closest teammate was Deivi Cruz with 262 total bases
• Tied for second in the league with 220 fly balls hit; sixth in slugging percentage against righthanded pitchers (.600).

1999

• Missed much of the second half of the season after injuring his right big toe, landing him on the disabled list and requiring season-ending surgery in mid-September
• Tied teammate Tony Clark with a team-high 64 walks despite missing over six weeks of action; compiled nearly a 1:1 strikeout/walk ratio (66:64)
• Left the game on July 24 in the bottom of the second inning after spraining his toe chasing after a ball in the top of the first; an MRI revealed damage to the toe
• Was placed on the disabled list on July 24, his first appearance on the DL since 1997; was limited to DH and pinch hitting roles after his return on August 24 and made his last 12 starts as designated hitter
• Hit into only two double plays on the season (377 AB), making him the toughest Tiger to double up (60-or-more AB)
• Was also the toughest batter in the AL to double up in double-play situations (2.1%, 2 GIDP in 94 situations), third-best in the majors
• Became one of only three Tigers on the year to collect five RBI in a game with a two-run and a three-run homer on May 16 against Cleveland
• Walked four times in a game twice, setting a season-high for the team
• Started 87 games in right field and 17 as designated hitter; batted in every slot in the lineup except eighth and ninth, hitting primarily third (56)
• Batted .419 with runners on third (13x31) including .500 (7x14) with two outs and .268 overall with runners in scoring position (26x97)
• Posted his ninth career multi-homer game (second of the season) on September 2 with two solo shots versus Texas
• Belted a game-tying home run off Yankees closer Mariano Rivera on July 6 in the bottom of the ninth
• Opened the season with strong numbers in April, ranking second on the team with a .289 average, 22 hits and 13 runs and topping the Tigers with seven doubles; led the team with 17 RBI in May
• Did not commit an error in his first 64 games, and had only three on the season
• his .983 fielding percentage for the season was his best since 1995
• Had season-ending surgery on his injured toe performed on September 15 by Dr. John Gould at the Andrews Clinic in Birmingham, AL.

1998

• Tied for the club lead with 157 games played in 1998 and set a career-best with 37 doubles, one more than his previous high set in 1996
• Placed 10th in the league with 612 at-bats; was fifth among rightfielders in fielding percentage at .983 (five errors/298 total chances)
• Hit at least 25 homers for the third straight season; of his 25 home runs this season, 19 came off righthanded pitchers
• Had 48-multi-hit games, most on the Tigers; included were a pair of four-hit games
• Placed tied for second in the AL and tied for fourth in the majors with 18 outfield assists after leading the majors with 20 in 1997; one assist came while playing an extra infield position on September 26 at Toronto as he turned a 9-3 GIDP to continue the game in extra innings
• Was the Tigers top hitter for average in the season's first half, batting .325 with 16 homers and 46 RBI prior to the All-Star Game
• Hit .345 (10-29) with a runner on third and less than two outs
• Batted a team-best .355 in the month of May (38-107) with seven homers, 22 RBI and 20 runs scored
• Posted his sixth career multi-homer game on May 1 with a pair of solo shots at Seattle
• Notched his 500th career hit on July 4 off the Twins' Dan Serafini
• Twice hit two homers in a game, July 11 versus Toronto and May 1 at Seattle
• Belted a game-winning grand slam (fourth career) on August 18 at Seattle
• Broke up Toronto rookie Roy Halladay's no-hitter on the season's final day with a two-out, first-pitch, ninth-inning homer; the homer came in a pinch-hit at-bat.

1997

• Was named co-Tiger Player of the Year (with Tony Clark) in 1997 by the Detroit Chapter of the BBWAA after establishing career-highs with 27 homers and 101 RBI
• His 20 outfield assists (the most in the majors since Joe Orsulak had 21 in 1991) paced both leagues by three (five more than any other American League player)
• Saved his best work at the plate for the season's second half, batting .326 with 13 homers and 52 RBI after the All-Star break
• Earned Tigers' Player of the Month Awards for both August (.347, 5 HR, 15 RBI) and September (.304, 4 HR, 23 RBI)
• Twice in August he posted seven hits in consecutive at-bats (August 16-17 and August 21-22), five short of the American League and Tigers' record
• Hit .337 over his final 48 games (68-202) and drove in 61 runs in his last 79 contests
• Closed the season with the Tigers' longest hitting streak of the season, a 14-game streak (September 12-28; .345; 20-58) that tied his career-best set in 1996
• Also opened the season strong, hitting safely in the season's first 11 games to mark the Tigers' longest streak to begin a season since Chet Lemon also hit safely in the first 11 games of 1988
• Became the 17th player in Tigers history to hit three homers in a game on June 30 versus the Mets (the first since Cecil Fielder, April 16, 1996 at Toronto) and had a career-best seven RBI, one short of the club record (the most since 1994)
• Homered in four straight at-bats between June 30-July 1 versus the Mets, tying a major league record (23rd time it was accomplished by 21 players total, four of them Tigers)
• Belted three grand slams, tying him for second in the majors behind Albert Belle (four)
• Had a career-best five hits on August 22 at Milwaukee
• Doubled three times on May 11 (against Cleveland), the first Tiger to do so since June 11, 1994 (Lou Whitaker at California)
• Drilled his first career grand slam on April 9 versus Minnesota off lefthander Eddie Guardado.

1996

• Increased his batting average by 96 points in 1996 over the previous season (.224 to .320), marking the highest increase in AL history among players with at least 100 games played in consecutive seasons
• Narrowly missed finishing in the top 10 in American League batting leaders in his second season of major league action; his .320 average ranked 12th, with the league's 10th-best mark belonging to Mo Vaughn at .326
• Placed second by one vote to Travis Fryman in voting by the Detroit BBWAA chapter for Tiger of the Year
• Ranked fourth in the league with a .623 slugging percentage against righthanded pitching; led the league with a .667 average with the bases loaded (4-6, 12 RBI)
• Surged in the season's second half, batting .333 (79-237) with 12 homers and 39 RBI after the All-Star break, hitting safely in 54-of-67 games
• Hit safely in 47 of his final 56 games (.345; 68-197), including in 21-of-26 September contests with a .352 (32-91) average, five homers and 14 RBI
• His 35 doubles, .577 slugging average, .404 on-base mark and 65 walks led the team
• Enjoyed his greatest success out of the leadoff spot; batted leadoff for the first time in his career on June 20 and responded by tying his career-high with two homers (second time)
• Led all big league batters with a .500 on-base average (76-152) out of the leadoff hole
• Had 11 homers in 32 games (including twice in his first at-bat) and hit .415 (49-118) with 31 RBI out of the number-one hole
• Was Tiger Player of the Month in both June (.394, seven homers, 20 RBI) and July (.345, six homers, 19 RBI)
• Had a team-best 14-game string from July 23-August 12 (.404, 21-52)
• Homered in three straight games, April 4-7 against the A's in Las Vegas
• Drilled pinch-hit homers on September 6 at Baltimore (5-4 win) and on May 6 at New York, becoming the first Tiger with two in a season since 1994 (Kirk Gibson)
• Posted nine outfield assists, tied for 12th-most in the circuit; played all three outfield positions extensively, including 12 starts in center field.

1995

• Earned 1995 Tiger Rookie of the Year honors as selected by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association
• Paced American League outfielders with 13 assists in his first major league campaign
• Made his debut on Opening Day in Anaheim, striking out as a pinch-hitter
• Recorded his first big-league hit off the Mariners' Bob Wells on April 30 in Seattle, a fifth-inning single
• Belted his first major-league homer on May 3 off the Indians' Jason Grimsley in Detroit
• Recorded 10 of his 14 homers and 28-of-43 RBI before the All-Star break; hit .246 (49-149) before the All-Star Game, .204 (43-211) after.