Detroit Tigers 2000-2009 All-Decade Team
By Matt Snyder
Left Field: Bobby Higginson
If one were to construct a list of most hated Detroit Tigers of this same decade, Bobby Higginson might top the chart. He was known around town as a bit of a jerk, but Higgy was a true star on a team with few bright spots.
His biggest crime on the baseball field was being a merely good player on some pretty bad teams. Or perhaps that he began to break down in his early 30s in an era when players stayed healthy and productive till darn near 40.
Higginson turned 30 in 2001, but he managed to hang on until 2005 and hit .268/.352/.434 for the decade. That 111 OPS+ isn’t going to turn heads, but it was average (or a tick above) for corner outfielders during that time period.
Bonus fact: Higginson led all Tigers outfielders in games played and plate appearances in the 2000s.