Kirby Higbe, baseball player, 1937-1950

Kirby Higbe

Born: 4/8/1915 in Columbia, SC, USA

Died: 5/6/1985 in Columbia, SC, USA

MLB Debut: 1937-10-03 | Final Game: 1950-07-07

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: Walter Kirby Higbe

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Kirby Higbe, born in 1915, was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1937 until 1950. Over his 13-year career, he compiled a record of 118 wins and 101 losses, posting a career Earned Run Average (ERA) of 3.69. Higbe was known for his ability to strike out batters, finishing his career with 971 strikeouts, and he also recorded 24 saves. His contributions to the game earned him All-Star selections in two seasons, highlighting his status as one of the leading pitchers of his time. Higbe's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, marked by the transition from the deadball era to a more offensive-minded game. He showcased a competitive spirit and versatility on the mound, often adapting his pitching style to suit the needs of his team. Despite the challenges of the era, including the impact of World War II on player availability, Higbe's performance remained consistent and impactful, leaving a lasting legacy that is remembered by baseball historians and fans alike.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
118 101 418 238 98 11 24 1952.3 1763 800 117 979 971 3.69 0

Career ERA 3.69 vs. league average 4.02 across their career seasons — 8.2% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1937 CHC NL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 5.0 4 3 1 2 5.40 — -
1938 CHC NL 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 10.0 10 6 6 4 5.40 4.35 (-24%) -
1939 CHC NL 2 1 9 2 0 0 0 22.7 12 8 22 16 3.18 4.28 (+26%) -
1939 PHI NL 10 14 34 26 14 1 2 187.3 208 101 101 79 4.85 4.28 (-13%) -2010.3
1940 PHI NL 14 19 41 36 20 1 1 283.0 242 117 121 137 3.72 4.21 (+12%) 2345.4
1941 BRO NL 22 9 48 39 19 2 3 298.0 244 104 132 121 3.14 3.94 (+20%) -1485.7
1942 BRO NL 16 11 38 32 13 2 0 221.7 180 80 106 115 3.25 3.57 (+9%) -2494.6
1943 BRO NL 13 10 35 27 8 1 0 185.0 189 76 95 108 3.70 3.50 (-6%) 559.5
1946 BRO NL 17 8 42 29 11 3 1 210.7 178 71 107 134 3.03 3.59 (+16%) 2029.0
1947 BRO NL 2 0 4 3 0 0 0 15.7 18 9 12 10 5.17 3.97 (-30%) 24.7
1947 PIT NL 11 17 46 30 10 1 5 225.0 204 93 110 99 3.72 3.97 (+6%) -3670.2
1948 PIT NL 8 7 56 8 3 0 10 158.0 140 59 83 86 3.36 4.10 (+18%) -488.9
1949 PIT NL 0 2 7 1 0 0 0 15.3 25 23 12 5 13.50 4.12 (-228%) -686.3
1949 NY1 NL 2 0 37 2 0 0 2 80.3 72 31 41 38 3.47 4.12 (+16%) -1956.2
1950 NY1 NL 0 3 18 1 0 0 0 34.7 37 19 30 17 4.93 4.36 (-13%) -515.8

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
418 660 35 101 14 2 3 47 0 15 135 0.153 0.172 0.194 0.366 -4848.1

Career AVG .153 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — 42.1% below league average.

Career OBP .172 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 48.9% below league average.

Career SLG .194 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — 48.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.366 vs. league average 0.714 across their career seasons — 48.8% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1937 CHC NL 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1938 CHC NL 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1939 CHC NL 9 7 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 0.286 — — — — 0.0
1939 PHI NL 34 66 5 11 1 0 0 5 0 0 15 0.167 .274 (-39%) .342 (-51%) .393 (-54%) .735 (-53%) 0.0
1940 PHI NL 41 103 5 17 1 1 0 3 0 3 26 0.165 .267 (-38%) .335 (-44%) .387 (-50%) .722 (-47%) -846.3
1941 BRO NL 48 112 6 21 3 1 0 14 0 4 23 0.188 .262 (-28%) .332 (-35%) .373 (-38%) .705 (-37%) -721.2
1942 BRO NL 38 77 2 8 2 0 0 8 0 0 16 0.104 .253 (-59%) .323 (-68%) .349 (-63%) .672 (-65%) -820.5
1943 BRO NL 35 65 2 9 0 0 1 1 0 3 12 0.138 .255 (-46%) .324 (-46%) .346 (-47%) .671 (-46%) -487.1
1946 BRO NL 42 77 5 10 2 0 0 7 0 0 11 0.130 .256 (-49%) .328 (-61%) .358 (-57%) .687 (-58%) -756.7
1947 BRO NL 4 5 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.200 — — — — 0.0
1947 PIT NL 46 72 6 10 2 0 1 4 0 2 11 0.139 .262 (-47%) .336 (-52%) .376 (-45%) .712 (-48%) 0.0
1948 PIT NL 56 48 4 10 1 0 1 3 0 0 11 0.208 — — — — 0.0
1949 PIT NL 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1949 NY1 NL 37 15 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 0.067 — — — — 0.0
1950 NY1 NL 18 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.250 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1941 WS BRO 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 1 1 0 3.7 6 3 2 1 7.36

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1941 WS BRO 0 0 1 1 0 3.7 6 3 2 1 7.36

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 418 0 92 285 11 17

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1937 CHN P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1938 CHN P 2 0 1 4 0 1
1939 CHN P 9 0 1 3 0 0
1939 PHI P 34 0 8 16 0 0
1940 PHI P 41 0 15 47 3 4
1941 BRO P 48 0 13 39 1 2
1942 BRO P 38 0 12 36 2 5
1943 BRO P 35 0 9 27 0 2
1946 BRO P 42 0 13 40 3 2
1947 BRO P 4 0 1 3 0 0
1947 PIT P 46 0 9 23 1 0
1948 PIT P 56 0 5 22 1 0
1949 PIT P 7 0 1 3 0 0
1949 NY1 P 37 0 1 11 0 1
1950 NY1 P 18 0 3 11 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 418

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1941 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1946 Most Valuable Player NL 15th 18.0 336 0
1941 Most Valuable Player NL 7th 64.0 336 0
1940 Most Valuable Player NL 21th 10.0 336 0