Pinky Higgins
Encyclopedia
Michael Franklin "Pinky" Higgins (May 27, 1909 — March 21, 1969) was an American
third baseman
, manager
, front office executive and scout in Major League Baseball
who played for three teams and served as manager or general manager
of the Boston Red Sox
during the period of through . He batted and threw right-handed.
. He was nicknamed "Pinky" as a baby, and according to some reports, detested the name. Alternatively, he was identified by each of his given names. He signed some autographs as Frank Higgins, but was predominantly known as Mike, especially later in his career. Higgins graduated from W. H. Adamson High School in Dallas where he played on the 1926 state championship runner-up team. He attended the University of Texas at Austin
before beginning his career with the Philadelphia Athletics
on June 25, . After having only 24 at bat
s that year, he did not play in the majors again until when he finally began to play full-time for the A's. In his rookie
season of 1933, he batted
.314, with 13 home run
s and 99 RBIs
. He hit for the cycle on August 3 in a 12-8 win over the Washington Senators
. That season, his team finished third in the American League
.
By , when he was traded to the Boston Red Sox
for fellow third baseman Billy Werber
, he was considered one of the better hitting third basemen in the league, having made the top in batting average in 1933 and . In his two years with the Sox (1937
, 1938), he batted over .300 with a career-high 106 RBIs in each year. In June 1938, Higgins set (and still holds) a major league record with base hits
in 12 consecutive at bat
s. Higgins accomplished the feat over 14 plate appearances, because he also received two bases on balls during the streak. His mark was tied by Walt Dropo
in , who made his 12 straight knocks in 12 appearances, with no bases on balls in between.
He would next head to the Detroit Tigers
in a trade for Elden Auker
, where he would spend the majority of his playing career. It was also where his hitting numbers began to dissipate, but his power numbers still stayed fairly strong, but not in the same realm as his career-high of 23 homers back with Philadelphia in .
Boston got Higgins back in mid- and he was the team's regular third baseman as they won the AL pennant by 12 games (although they dropped the 1946 World Series
). He was released by them at the end of the season and then retired to become a manager in the Red Sox farm system. His final numbers included a .292 batting average with 140 home runs and 1,075 RBIs. He accumulated 1,941 career hits
in 6,636 at bats. He made the All-star game
three times (1934, '36, '44).
: one with Detroit in 1940
and one with Boston in 1946
. His team lost both, but Higgins had a .271 all-time batting average with 1 home run (DET) and 8 RBIs (6 DET, 2 BOS). He had 13 hits in 48 at bats.
in the Red Sox farm system in 1947. After eight seasons of managing in the minors — including four (1951–54) at the helm of the Red Sox' AAA affiliate, the Louisville Colonels
of the American Association
— he became Boston's skipper in . Before taking the Red Sox promotion, Higgins was under consideration as a manager-in-waiting with the Baltimore Orioles
, where fellow Texan and former Tiger teammate Paul Richards
had just been installed as the O's general manager and field manager in September 1954.
Higgins' first team
got off to a quick start, but faded late in the year, finishing fourth. Although he had winning, first division
teams through and Ted Williams
won two more batting titles (1957–58), the Red Sox never seriously contended — never finishing less than 12 games in arrears of the first-place New York Yankees
. In 1959
, with the 40-year-old Williams injured (and turning in the only sub-.300 season of his career), the Red Sox lost 42 of their first 73 games, and on July 3, Higgins was replaced as manager by Billy Jurges
, a coach with the Washington Senators
. Higgins then became a special assistant to owner Tom Yawkey
, with whom he had become friends.
After a promising end to the 1959 season, Jurges' Red Sox plummeted into last place in the opening weeks of the campaign. Jurges was fired on June 10, 1960; then, after coach
Del Baker
handled the Red Sox for seven games, Higgins resumed his old job. However, the Red Sox continued to lose. Nevertheless, on September 30, 1960, Higgins was signed to a three-year contract extension as field manager, and given control of all playing personnel in the Boston organization — effectively adding the duties of general manager
(without the formal title) to his managerial role.
Higgins formally hung up his uniform and joined Boston's front office full-time as executive vice president and general manager after the campaign, finishing his managerial career with a record of 560-556 (.502) in 1,119 games. His best finish was third place (-58
), although his best winning percentage
came in and , when he ended both seasons with an 84-70 record, a .545 winning percentage (Boston finished fourth in each season).
He was 53 when he fully retired from managing. As a skipper, Higgins was known for being well liked by players and very laid back. He would not go out to the mound to talk to his pitcher
very often and once said, "I don't believe in that business of walking out to the mound every time a pitcher's in trouble. You can't tell him anything new."
—acquiring Eddie Bressoud
for Don Buddin
—Higgins made no significant trades during the two seasons (1961–62) he served as both manager and supervisor of playing personnel. Once he was named full-time general manager, in the autumn of 1962, Higgins made a few major trades, one of them netting slugger Dick Stuart
, but they did not materially improve the club on the field. He made no further major deals until after the campaign, when he sent Stuart to the Philadelphia Phillies
for left-handed starting pitcher Dennis Bennett
, who suffered from a sore arm and would win only 12 games (losing 13) in 286⅓ innings pitched over 2½ seasons in a Boston uniform. Higgins also clashed with Johnny Pesky
, who had been personally chosen by Yawkey as his managerial successor for 1963
; by the end of the 1964 season
, Higgins had pushed Pesky aside, replacing him with his own man, Billy Herman
.
At the MLB level, the Red Sox continued to struggle, and in 1965
they lost 100 games for the only time during the Yawkey era. But meanwhile, in the minor leagues, the Red Sox—led by farm system director Neil Mahoney
—were amassing talent (including African-American players such as Reggie Smith
, George Scott and Joe Foy
) that would lead to an improbable AL pennant in .
Higgins, however, was finally ousted by Yawkey on September 16, , ironically the day on which 21-year-old Boston right-hander Dave Morehead
threw a no hitter. He then joined Houston as a scout, hired by Richards. It would be his last job in baseball.
and fielded an all-white team from Jackie Robinson
's debut in 1947 through Higgins' first managerial term. Higgins was quoted by one Boston baseball writer, the late Al Hirshberg, as saying, "There'll be no nigger
s on this ball club as long as I have anything to say about it." He also reportedly called sportswriter Clif Keane "a fucking nigger lover" upon hearing Keane praise the talents of outfielder Minnie Miñoso, a Cuban of African descent.
The Red Sox' first African-American player, utility
infielder
Pumpsie Green
, was recalled from the minor leagues
in July 1959, during Jurges' brief tenure as pilot.
However, Higgins had no control over the big league roster until he became Red Sox manager in 1955, and the club's hostility toward breaking the color line
appeared to be in place well before then under Yawkey and his front office bosses, Eddie Collins
and Joe Cronin
.
When Higgins returned to his managerial post from mid-1960 through 1962, he managed an integrated roster, and did acquire a few nonwhite players (outfielders Roman Mejias
, Lenny Green
and Al Smith and infielders Felix Mantilla and Billy Harrell
) during his GM tenure.
s between the time of his conviction and sentencing. He pled guilty to driving while drunk, and was sentenced to four years, but was parole
d after two months of his sentence.
One day after being paroled, he died of a heart attack in Dallas, Texas
at the age of 59.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
, manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
, front office executive and scout in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played for three teams and served as manager or general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
of the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
during the period of through . He batted and threw right-handed.
Playing career
Higgins was born in Red Oak, TexasRed Oak, Texas
-External links:* * * * * *...
. He was nicknamed "Pinky" as a baby, and according to some reports, detested the name. Alternatively, he was identified by each of his given names. He signed some autographs as Frank Higgins, but was predominantly known as Mike, especially later in his career. Higgins graduated from W. H. Adamson High School in Dallas where he played on the 1926 state championship runner-up team. He attended the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
before beginning his career with the Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
on June 25, . After having only 24 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s that year, he did not play in the majors again until when he finally began to play full-time for the A's. In his rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
season of 1933, he batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.314, with 13 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 99 RBIs
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
. He hit for the cycle on August 3 in a 12-8 win over the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. That season, his team finished third in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
.
By , when he was traded to the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
for fellow third baseman Billy Werber
Billy Werber
William Murray Werber was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees , Boston Red Sox , Philadelphia Athletics , Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants...
, he was considered one of the better hitting third basemen in the league, having made the top in batting average in 1933 and . In his two years with the Sox (1937
1937 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants *All-Star Game, July 7 at Griffith Stadium: American League, 8-3-Awards and honors:*MLB Most Valuable Player Award**American League: Charlie Gehringer, Detroit Tigers, 2B...
, 1938), he batted over .300 with a career-high 106 RBIs in each year. In June 1938, Higgins set (and still holds) a major league record with base hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 12 consecutive at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s. Higgins accomplished the feat over 14 plate appearances, because he also received two bases on balls during the streak. His mark was tied by Walt Dropo
Walt Dropo
Walter Dropo , nicknamed "Moose", was an American college basketball standout and a professional baseball first baseman...
in , who made his 12 straight knocks in 12 appearances, with no bases on balls in between.
He would next head to the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in a trade for Elden Auker
Elden Auker
Elden le Roy Auker was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball noted for his submarine pitching style....
, where he would spend the majority of his playing career. It was also where his hitting numbers began to dissipate, but his power numbers still stayed fairly strong, but not in the same realm as his career-high of 23 homers back with Philadelphia in .
Boston got Higgins back in mid- and he was the team's regular third baseman as they won the AL pennant by 12 games (although they dropped the 1946 World Series
1946 World Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 6, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, MissouriThe Red Sox won Game 1 when Rudy York hit a home run into the left field bleachers.-Game 2:Monday, October 7, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St...
). He was released by them at the end of the season and then retired to become a manager in the Red Sox farm system. His final numbers included a .292 batting average with 140 home runs and 1,075 RBIs. He accumulated 1,941 career hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 6,636 at bats. He made the All-star game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
three times (1934, '36, '44).
Postseason
Higgins played in two World SeriesWorld Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
: one with Detroit in 1940
1940 World Series
The 1940 World Series matched the Cincinnati Reds against the Detroit Tigers, with the Reds winning the Series in seven games for their second championship, their first since the scandal-tainted victory in...
and one with Boston in 1946
1946 World Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 6, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, MissouriThe Red Sox won Game 1 when Rudy York hit a home run into the left field bleachers.-Game 2:Monday, October 7, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St...
. His team lost both, but Higgins had a .271 all-time batting average with 1 home run (DET) and 8 RBIs (6 DET, 2 BOS). He had 13 hits in 48 at bats.
Manager
Higgins started his managing career with the Class B Roanoke Red Sox of the Piedmont LeaguePiedmont League
The Piedmont League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1920 through 1955. The league operated principally in the Piedmont plateau region in the eastern United States.- Former :...
in the Red Sox farm system in 1947. After eight seasons of managing in the minors — including four (1951–54) at the helm of the Red Sox' AAA affiliate, the Louisville Colonels
Louisville Colonels (minor league baseball team)
The Louisville Colonels was the name of several minor league baseball teams that played in Louisville, Kentucky, in the 20th century. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels.-Twentieth century minor league teams:...
of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
— he became Boston's skipper in . Before taking the Red Sox promotion, Higgins was under consideration as a manager-in-waiting with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, where fellow Texan and former Tiger teammate Paul Richards
Paul Richards (baseball)
Paul Rapier Richards was an American professional baseball player, manager, scout and executive in Major League Baseball. During his playing career, he was a catcher and right-handed batter with the Brooklyn Dodgers , New York Giants , Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers...
had just been installed as the O's general manager and field manager in September 1954.
Higgins' first team
1955 Boston Red Sox season
The 1955 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 4th in the American League with a record of 84 wins and 70 losses.- Offseason :* October 14, 1954: Owen Friend was purchased by the Red Sox from the Cleveland Indians.- Regular season :...
got off to a quick start, but faded late in the year, finishing fourth. Although he had winning, first division
First division (baseball)
First division is a term that has had various meanings, at various times, in the sport of baseball, but originally referred to the rankings within a league...
teams through and Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
won two more batting titles (1957–58), the Red Sox never seriously contended — never finishing less than 12 games in arrears of the first-place New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. In 1959
1959 Boston Red Sox season
The 1959 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 5th in the American League with a record of 75 wins and 79 losses, nineteen games behind the AL Champion Chicago White Sox.- Offseason :...
, with the 40-year-old Williams injured (and turning in the only sub-.300 season of his career), the Red Sox lost 42 of their first 73 games, and on July 3, Higgins was replaced as manager by Billy Jurges
Billy Jurges
William Frederick Jurges was an American shortstop, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball. He was born in Bronx, New York. During the 1930s, he was central to three National League champion Chicago Cubs teams...
, a coach with the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. Higgins then became a special assistant to owner Tom Yawkey
Tom Yawkey
Thomas Austin Yawkey, born Thomas Austin , was an American industrialist and Major League Baseball executive. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Yawkey became president of the Boston Red Sox in 1933, and was the sole owner of the team for 44 seasons, longer than anyone else in baseball history.-Early...
, with whom he had become friends.
After a promising end to the 1959 season, Jurges' Red Sox plummeted into last place in the opening weeks of the campaign. Jurges was fired on June 10, 1960; then, after coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
Del Baker
Del Baker
Delmer David Baker was an American catcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. As a manager, he led the 1940 Detroit Tigers to the American League pennant...
handled the Red Sox for seven games, Higgins resumed his old job. However, the Red Sox continued to lose. Nevertheless, on September 30, 1960, Higgins was signed to a three-year contract extension as field manager, and given control of all playing personnel in the Boston organization — effectively adding the duties of general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
(without the formal title) to his managerial role.
Higgins formally hung up his uniform and joined Boston's front office full-time as executive vice president and general manager after the campaign, finishing his managerial career with a record of 560-556 (.502) in 1,119 games. His best finish was third place (-58
1958 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Milwaukee Braves ; Bob Turley, MVP*All-Star Game, July 8 at Memorial Stadium: American League, 4-3-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: USC...
), although his best winning percentage
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
came in and , when he ended both seasons with an 84-70 record, a .545 winning percentage (Boston finished fourth in each season).
He was 53 when he fully retired from managing. As a skipper, Higgins was known for being well liked by players and very laid back. He would not go out to the mound to talk to his pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
very often and once said, "I don't believe in that business of walking out to the mound every time a pitcher's in trouble. You can't tell him anything new."
General manager
Higgins' record as a general manager, like his managing record, was mediocre. Apart from swapping shortstops with Paul Richards' Houston Colt .45sHouston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
—acquiring Eddie Bressoud
Eddie Bressoud
Edward Francis Bressoud is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played from through for the New York & San Francisco Giants , Boston Red Sox , New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals...
for Don Buddin
Don Buddin
Donald Thomas Buddin was an American professional baseball shortstop. He played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox , Houston Colt .45s and Detroit Tigers . Listed at 5' 11" , 178 lb. , Buddin batted and threw right-handed...
—Higgins made no significant trades during the two seasons (1961–62) he served as both manager and supervisor of playing personnel. Once he was named full-time general manager, in the autumn of 1962, Higgins made a few major trades, one of them netting slugger Dick Stuart
Dick Stuart
Richard Lee Stuart was a Major League Baseball first baseman from 1958 to 1966 and 1969. In 1967 and 1968, he played in Japan for the Taiyo Whales. Throughout his baseball career, Stuart was known as a fine hitter, but a subpar fielder, garnering the unique nickname of "Dr. Strangeglove" for his...
, but they did not materially improve the club on the field. He made no further major deals until after the campaign, when he sent Stuart to the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for left-handed starting pitcher Dennis Bennett
Dennis Bennett (baseball)
Dennis John Bennett is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Phillies , Boston Red Sox , New York Mets and California Angels...
, who suffered from a sore arm and would win only 12 games (losing 13) in 286⅓ innings pitched over 2½ seasons in a Boston uniform. Higgins also clashed with Johnny Pesky
Johnny Pesky
John Michael Pesky , nicknamed "The Needle" and "Mr. Red Sox", was a Major League Baseball shortstop, third baseman, and manager. During a 10-year career, he played in 1942 and from 1946-1954 for three different teams. He missed all of the 1943, 1944, and 1945 seasons while serving in World War...
, who had been personally chosen by Yawkey as his managerial successor for 1963
1963 Boston Red Sox season
The 1963 Boston Red Sox season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Red Sox finishing 7th in the American League with a record of 76 wins and 85 losses.- Offseason :...
; by the end of the 1964 season
1964 Boston Red Sox season
The 1964 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 8th in the American League with a record of 72 wins and 90 losses, 27 games behind the AL Champion New York Yankees.- Offseason :...
, Higgins had pushed Pesky aside, replacing him with his own man, Billy Herman
Billy Herman
William Jennings Bryan "Billy" Herman was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball during the 1930s and 1940s. He was known for his stellar defense and consistent batting...
.
At the MLB level, the Red Sox continued to struggle, and in 1965
1965 Boston Red Sox season
The 1965 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 9th in the American League with a record of 62 wins and 100 losses.- Offseason :...
they lost 100 games for the only time during the Yawkey era. But meanwhile, in the minor leagues, the Red Sox—led by farm system director Neil Mahoney
Neil Mahoney
Neil T. Mahoney was an American professional baseball scout, scouting director, and player development official...
—were amassing talent (including African-American players such as Reggie Smith
Reggie Smith
Carl Reginald Smith is a former Major League Baseball outfielder, coach and front office executive. During a 17-year big league career , Smith appeared in 1,987 games, hit 314 home runs and batted .287. He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed. In his prime, he had one of the strongest...
, George Scott and Joe Foy
Joe Foy
Joseph Anthony "Joe" Foy was a Major League Baseball third baseman.-Boston Red Sox:Born in New York City, Foy was signed as an amateur free agent by the Minnesota Twins in 1962, but was selected in that year's minor league draft by the Boston Red Sox...
) that would lead to an improbable AL pennant in .
Higgins, however, was finally ousted by Yawkey on September 16, , ironically the day on which 21-year-old Boston right-hander Dave Morehead
Dave Morehead
David Michael Morehead is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. A right-hander, Morehead pitched for the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals ....
threw a no hitter. He then joined Houston as a scout, hired by Richards. It would be his last job in baseball.
Role in forestalling integration
Red Sox historians often single out Higgins, along with Yawkey, when they discuss the root of the club's reputation for resisting racial integration. The Red Sox were the last of the then-16 major league teams to play an African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
and fielded an all-white team from Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
's debut in 1947 through Higgins' first managerial term. Higgins was quoted by one Boston baseball writer, the late Al Hirshberg, as saying, "There'll be no nigger
Nigger
Nigger is a noun in the English language, most notable for its usage in a pejorative context to refer to black people , and also as an informal slang term, among other contexts. It is a common ethnic slur...
s on this ball club as long as I have anything to say about it." He also reportedly called sportswriter Clif Keane "a fucking nigger lover" upon hearing Keane praise the talents of outfielder Minnie Miñoso, a Cuban of African descent.
The Red Sox' first African-American player, utility
Utility
In economics, utility is a measure of customer satisfaction, referring to the total satisfaction received by a consumer from consuming a good or service....
infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
Pumpsie Green
Pumpsie Green
Elijah Jerry "Pumpsie" Green is a former Major League Baseball backup infielder who played with the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets . He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed....
, was recalled from the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
in July 1959, during Jurges' brief tenure as pilot.
However, Higgins had no control over the big league roster until he became Red Sox manager in 1955, and the club's hostility toward breaking the color line
Baseball color line
The color line in American baseball excluded players of black African descent from Organized Baseball, or the major leagues and affiliated minor leagues, until Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization for the 1946 season...
appeared to be in place well before then under Yawkey and his front office bosses, Eddie Collins
Eddie Collins
Edward Trowbridge Collins, Sr. , nicknamed "Cocky", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman, manager and executive...
and Joe Cronin
Joe Cronin
Joseph Edward Cronin was a Major League Baseball shortstop and manager.During a 20-year playing career, he played from 1926–45 for three different teams, primarily for the Boston Red Sox. Cronin was a major league manager from 1933–47...
.
When Higgins returned to his managerial post from mid-1960 through 1962, he managed an integrated roster, and did acquire a few nonwhite players (outfielders Roman Mejias
Román Mejías
Román Mejías Gómez is a former professional baseball player who played outfielder in the Major Leagues from 1955-1964. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, and Houston Colt .45s . He also played one season in Japan, in , for the Sankei Atoms.-External links:*...
, Lenny Green
Lenny Green
Leonard Charles Green is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Baltimore Orioles , Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins , Los Angeles Angels , Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers . He batted and threw left-handed...
and Al Smith and infielders Felix Mantilla and Billy Harrell
Billy Harrell
William Harrell is a former reserve infielder in Major League Baseball who played between 1955 and 1961 for the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox . Listed at , , Harrell batted and threw right-handed...
) during his GM tenure.
Death
In February 1968, Higgins was arrested after killing one and injuring three others with his car. He suffered two heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
s between the time of his conviction and sentencing. He pled guilty to driving while drunk, and was sentenced to four years, but was parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
d after two months of his sentence.
One day after being paroled, he died of a heart attack in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
at the age of 59.
External links
- Baseball-Reference.com - career playing stats and managing record
- Pinky Higgins at Find a GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...