Irv Higginbotham
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1906-1909)
Irv Higginbotham was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1906 to 1909 for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 4 seasons. Across 48 career appearances, he went 10-14 with a 2.81 ERA and 86 strikeouts. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 265.6.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 196 lb
- Died
- 6/13/1959 in Seattle, WA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1906-08-11
- Last Game
- 1909-09-11
Full name: Irving Clinton Higginbotham
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1906 | SLN | NL | 1 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 47.1 | 50 | 17 | 11 | 14 | 3.23 | 2.68 (-21%) | -170.2 |
| 1908 | SLN | NL | 3 | 8 | 19 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 107.0 | 113 | 38 | 33 | 38 | 3.20 | 2.40 (-33%) | -79.5 |
| 1909 | SLN | NL | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11.1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1.59 | 2.55 (+38%) | 36.6 |
| 1909 | CHN | NL | 5 | 2 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 78.0 | 64 | 19 | 20 | 32 | 2.19 | 2.55 (+14%) | 478.8 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 10 | 14 | 48 | 24 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 243.2 | 232 | 76 | 66 | 86 | 2.81 | — | 266 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | 85 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | .176 | .205 | .176 | .381 | 0 |
Career AVG .176 vs. league average .244 across their career seasons — 27.7% below league average.
Career OBP .205 vs. league average .304 across their career seasons — 32.7% below league average.
Career SLG .176 vs. league average .311 across their career seasons — 43.3% below league average.
Career OPS .381 vs. league average .616 across their career seasons — 38.1% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1906 | SLN | NL | 7 | 18 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .222 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1908 | SLN | NL | 19 | 38 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .132 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1909 | SLN | NL | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1909 | CHN | NL | 19 | 26 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .231 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 48 | 85 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | .176 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (96 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 23 | 35 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | .200 |
| Away | 25 | 52 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | .154 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 23 | 101.1 | 90 | 7 | 27 | 36 | 0.62 |
| Away | 25 | 142.2 | 141 | 11 | 40 | 51 | 0.69 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1909-09-11 | CHC | STL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-09-10 | CHC | STL | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-09-07 | CHC | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-09-03 | CHC | BRO | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-09-02 | CHC | BRO | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-08-27 | CHC | NY1 | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-08-13 | CHC | NY1 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-08-12 | CHC | NY1 | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-08-09 | CHC | BRO | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-08-01 | CHC | PHI | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1909-09-11 | CHC | STL | — | 1.0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-09-10 | CHC | STL | W | 9.0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| 1909-09-07 | CHC | PIT | — | 3.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1909-09-03 | CHC | BRO | W | 5.1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 1909-09-02 | CHC | BRO | — | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-08-27 | CHC | NY1 | W | 6.0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1909-08-13 | CHC | NY1 | — | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-08-12 | CHC | NY1 | — | 4.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1909-08-09 | CHC | BRO | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-08-01 | CHC | PHI | — | 1.1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 48 |
Irv Higginbotham: the record in brief
Irv Higginbotham's major league career runs from a debut on August 11, 1906 to a final game on September 11, 1909. Club by club, the record runs the St. Louis Cardinals (1906 through 1909) and the Chicago Cubs (1909). The bio lists Higginbotham as a pitcher who both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 6 feet, 1 inch and 196 pounds. The birth record reads April 26, 1882, in Homer, NE, USA. The bio records the death on June 13, 1959, in Seattle, WA, USA. On the record, Irv Higginbotham was born Irving Clinton Higginbotham.
The pitching table credits Higginbotham with a 10-14 record and a 2.81 ERA in 48 games. Higginbotham had 86 strikeouts and 16 complete games. Against a 2.54 league ERA for the same seasons, the 2.81 mark was 10.5% worse. 1909 brought Higginbotham a season-high 5 wins. In 1909, one of the busiest seasons, Higginbotham posted a 2.19 ERA; the league figure that year was 2.55.
Frequently Asked Questions about Irv Higginbotham
- What years did Irv Higginbotham play?
- Irv Higginbotham played in Major League Baseball from 1906 to 1909.
- Was Irv Higginbotham a pitcher?
- Yes. Irv Higginbotham pitched in the major leagues, recording 10 wins and 86 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Irv Higginbotham hit?
- Irv Higginbotham hit 0 career home runs with 15 hits.
- What teams did Irv Higginbotham play for?
- Irv Higginbotham played for 2 teams: the St. Louis Cardinals (1906, 1908–1909) and the Chicago Cubs (1909).
- What were Irv Higginbotham's career stats?
- In 48 games, Irv Higginbotham went 10-14 with a 2.81 ERA, 86 strikeouts, 243.2 innings pitched, and 1 saves.
- What position did Irv Higginbotham play?
- Irv Higginbotham played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Irv Higginbotham and how much did he weigh?
- Irv Higginbotham was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 196 pounds.
- What was Irv Higginbotham's career ERA?
- Irv Higginbotham finished with a 2.81 career ERA, going 10-14 with 86 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Irv Higginbotham have?
- Irv Higginbotham recorded 86 career strikeouts.
- Is Irv Higginbotham in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Irv Higginbotham has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.