Lew Riggs, baseball player, 1934-1946

Lew Riggs

Born: 4/22/1910 in Mebane, NC, USA

Died: 8/12/1975 in Durham, NC, USA

MLB Debut: 1934-04-28 | Final Game: 1946-04-16

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Lewis Sidney Riggs

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Lew Riggs was a professional baseball player born in 1910, who played primarily as a position player from 1934 until his retirement on April 16, 1946. Over the course of his career, Riggs participated in 760 games, where he recorded 650 hits and achieved a batting average of .262. He contributed significantly to his teams with 28 home runs and 271 runs batted in, while also showcasing his speed on the bases with 22 stolen bases. Riggs was selected as an All-Star once during his career, highlighting his standing among his contemporaries in a competitive era that was transitioning from the Great Depression into the post-war years. Riggs' career unfolded during a time when baseball was beginning to emerge from the shadows of the deadball era and adapting to the evolving nature of the game. His contributions on the field exemplified the gritty determination and resilience characteristic of players from this period. While not regarded as one of the game's superstars, Riggs made his mark as a reliable player, demonstrating versatility and commitment, which endeared him to fans and teammates alike. His legacy is a testament to the spirit of perseverance that defined baseball during the mid-20th century.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
760 2477 298 650 110 43 28 271 22 181 140 0.262 0.317 0.375 0.692 -2988.9

Career AVG .262 vs. league average .270 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .317 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — 6.2% below league average.

Career SLG .375 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.692 vs. league average 0.723 across their career seasons — near 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
1934 STL NL 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1935 CIN NL 142 532 73 148 26 8 5 46 8 43 32 0.278 .279 (-1%) .342 (-2%) .399 (-4%) .742 (-3%) -370.1
1936 CIN NL 141 538 69 138 20 12 6 57 5 38 33 0.257 .283 (-10%) .349 (-10%) .404 (-8%) .753 (-9%) -1129.3
1937 CIN NL 122 384 43 93 17 5 6 45 4 24 17 0.242 .276 (-12%) .342 (-16%) .398 (-10%) .740 (-13%) -1064.0
1938 CIN NL 142 531 53 134 21 13 2 55 3 40 28 0.252 .272 (-8%) .341 (-9%) .392 (-10%) .734 (-10%) -1167.0
1939 CIN NL 22 38 5 6 1 0 0 1 1 5 4 0.158 — — — — 0.0
1940 CIN NL 41 72 8 21 7 1 1 9 0 2 4 0.292 .267 (+9%) .335 (-7%) .387 (+18%) .722 (+6%) 37.9
1941 BRO NL 77 197 27 60 13 4 5 36 1 16 12 0.305 .262 (+16%) .332 (+7%) .373 (+31%) .705 (+20%) 620.2
1942 BRO NL 70 180 20 50 5 0 3 22 0 13 9 0.278 .253 (+10%) .323 (+3%) .349 (+2%) .672 (+2%) 83.3
1946 BRO NL 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
6 11 1 2 0 0 0 1 1 3 0.182

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1941 WS BRO 3 8 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 0.250
1940 WS CIN 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 2 0 4 1 1 1
2B 5 0 4 5 0 1
3B 627 0 614 1220 107 88
SS 1 0 0 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1935 CIN 3B 135 0 132 269 31 21
1936 CIN 3B 140 0 122 267 13 19
1937 CIN 2B 4 0 0 3 0 0
1937 CIN 3B 100 0 112 223 21 16
1937 CIN SS 1 0 0 0 0 0
1938 CIN 3B 140 0 146 280 24 18
1939 CIN 3B 11 0 6 16 1 1
1940 CIN 3B 11 0 10 23 2 2
1941 BRO 1B 1 0 3 1 1 1
1941 BRO 2B 1 0 4 2 0 1
1941 BRO 3B 43 0 48 75 9 4
1942 BRO 1B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1942 BRO 3B 46 0 36 65 6 7
1946 BRO 3B 1 0 2 2 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 2
Second Base 5
Third Base 627
Shortstop 1