Dennis Higgins
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1966-1972)
Dennis Higgins was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1966 to 1972 for 4 teams, including the Chicago White Sox, a span of 7 seasons. Across 241 career appearances, he went 22-23 with a 3.42 ERA, 339 strikeouts, and 46 saves.
- 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
- 6'3" / 180 lb
- Died
- 11/3/2023 in Jefferson City, MO, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1966-04-12
- Last Game
- 1972-08-26
Full name: Dennis Dean Higgins
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | CHA | AL | 1 | 0 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 93.0 | 66 | 26 | 33 | 86 | 2.52 | 3.52 (+29%) | 785.7 |
| 1967 | CHA | AL | 1 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.1 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 5.84 | 3.30 (-77%) | -339.3 |
| 1968 | WS2 | AL | 4 | 4 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 99.2 | 81 | 36 | 46 | 66 | 3.25 | 2.98 (-9%) | -1487.6 |
| 1969 | WS2 | AL | 10 | 9 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 85.1 | 79 | 33 | 56 | 71 | 3.48 | 3.61 (+4%) | -794.3 |
| 1970 | CLE | AL | 4 | 6 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 90.1 | 82 | 40 | 54 | 82 | 3.99 | 3.89 (-3%) | 119.4 |
| 1971 | SLN | NL | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3.86 | — | 0.0 |
| 1972 | SLN | NL | 1 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22.2 | 19 | 10 | 22 | 20 | 3.97 | 3.26 (-22%) | -159.8 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 22 | 23 | 241 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 410.1 | 346 | 156 | 223 | 339 | 3.42 | — | -1,876 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 241 | 58 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 17 | .155 | .210 | .155 | .365 | 0 |
Career AVG .155 vs. league average .246 across their career seasons — 37.0% below league average.
Career OBP .210 vs. league average .313 across their career seasons — 33.1% below league average.
Career SLG .155 vs. league average .365 across their career seasons — 57.4% below league average.
Career OPS .365 vs. league average .678 across their career seasons — 46.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | CHA | AL | 42 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .176 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1967 | CHA | AL | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1968 | WS2 | AL | 59 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .133 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1969 | WS2 | AL | 55 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .091 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1970 | CLE | AL | 58 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1971 | SLN | NL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1972 | SLN | NL | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 241 | 58 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 17 | .155 | — | — | — | — | 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 (482 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 113 | 29 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | .138 |
| Away | 128 | 29 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | .172 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 113 | 197.1 | 162 | 75 | 99 | 156 | 3.42 |
| Away | 128 | 213.0 | 183 | 81 | 124 | 183 | 3.42 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-08-26 | STL | SDP | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-08-19 | STL | SFG | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-08-15 | STL | SDP | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-08-11 | STL | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-08-08 | STL | NYN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-07-30 | STL | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-05-24 | STL | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-05-23 | STL | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-05-17 | STL | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-05-14 | STL | CIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-08-26 | STL | SDP | SV | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1972-08-19 | STL | SFG | — | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-08-15 | STL | SDP | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1972-08-11 | STL | PIT | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-08-08 | STL | NYN | W | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 1972-07-30 | STL | CHC | — | 2.2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1972-05-24 | STL | PIT | L | 1.0 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-05-23 | STL | PIT | — | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-05-17 | STL | PIT | — | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1972-05-14 | STL | CIN | — | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 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 | 241 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Dennis Higgins (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Dennis Higgins: the record in brief
The profile opens with Dennis Higgins's first major league game on April 12, 1966; the last one listed came on August 26, 1972. Higgins played for the Chicago White Sox (1966 through 1967), the Washington Senators (1968 through 1969), the Cleveland Indians (1970), and the St. Louis Cardinals (1971 through 1972). Higgins, born on August 4, 1939, in Jefferson City, MO, USA, is listed as a pitcher and batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds. Higgins died on November 3, 2023, in Jefferson City, MO, USA. The bio lists the given name Dennis Dean.
Higgins went 22-23 with a 3.42 ERA in 241 games, 2 of them starts. The same table counts 339 strikeouts and 46 saves. Higgins's 3.42 ERA was close to the 3.45 league figure for those seasons. 1969 brought Higgins a season-high 10 wins. 1966 produced Higgins's most strikeouts, 86. Higgins saved 16 games in 1969, the season high. 1966 was Higgins's sharpest full season, a 2.52 ERA against the league's 3.52.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dennis Higgins
- What years did Dennis Higgins play?
- Dennis Higgins played in Major League Baseball from 1966 to 1972.
- Was Dennis Higgins a pitcher?
- Yes. Dennis Higgins pitched in the major leagues, recording 22 wins and 339 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Dennis Higgins hit?
- Dennis Higgins hit 0 career home runs with 9 hits.
- What teams did Dennis Higgins play for?
- Dennis Higgins played for 4 teams: the Chicago White Sox (1966–1967), the Washington Senators (1968–1969), the Cleveland Indians (1970), and the St. Louis Cardinals (1971–1972).
- What were Dennis Higgins's career stats?
- In 241 games, Dennis Higgins went 22-23 with a 3.42 ERA, 339 strikeouts, 410.1 innings pitched, and 46 saves.
- What position did Dennis Higgins play?
- Dennis Higgins played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Dennis Higgins and how much did he weigh?
- Dennis Higgins was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 180 pounds.
- What was Dennis Higgins's career ERA?
- Dennis Higgins finished with a 3.42 career ERA, going 22-23 with 339 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Dennis Higgins have?
- Dennis Higgins recorded 339 career strikeouts.
- Is Dennis Higgins in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dennis Higgins has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.