In a perfect world, Bobby Higginson would like to stay a Tiger, but that doesn’t mean he’s crazy.
“I wouldn’t be upset if I got traded to the Yankees,” Higginson said before the Tigers faced the Yankees last night. “How could you be? They’re the best team out there. I’d always want to play in the postseason.”
Now with Ryan Thompson showing why he was a 32-year-old minor leaguer, the Bombers are hot for a new left fielder. Although the name most often mentioned in trade rumors is the Expos’ Rondell White, the team has long expressed interest in Higginson.
“I’ve heard so many supposed trades involving me, I don’t even pay attention to it anymore,” said Higginson, who looked to be a burgeoning star before falling off last year. “But, to tell you the truth, I’d be shocked if they traded me anywhere.”
Which probably means he’s going to be shipped out of town any day. But you can understand why he feels that way. A year after his game completely collapsed, Higginson has become an attractive commodity again. And his attitude has changed completely.
“It seemed like every day I would read the paper and I’d be going somewhere else,” said Higginson, who hit just .239 with 12 homers and missed time with an injured toe in 1999. “All the scouts said I was done. A lot of times last year, with the way I was playing and the way the team was going, I just wanted to get out of there. I thought maybe a change of scenery would be the best thing for me.”
He nearly got his wish. The Yankees were close to trading the also struggling Andy Pettitte to Detroit in exchange for the slugger, but it didn’t go through.
“Now, I’m having maybe my best year yet,” said Higginson, who entered last night’s game hitting .296 with 18 home runs and 57 RBIs. “It’s funny, last year, nobody wanted me, now they wouldn’t move me. It just goes to show you, you can’t always believe what people say about you. My mechanics were off and it didn’t look like I’d ever hit again. I definitely doubted my ability for part of last year. I thought I might never get back. That makes this year so much more gratifying.”
Higginson has done it without the benefit of a real strong lineup surrounding him. That’s despite having another outfielder on his team that wanted no part of coming to New York. Juan Gonzalez was supposed to help take some of the heat off of Higginson, but his tenure in Detroit has been a fiasco.
“We haven’t really had Juan,” said Higginson of his moody teammate, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Monday with an injured ankle. “He’s been out a lot and even when he’s played, he hasn’t been himself.”
As for himself, Higginson knows where he wants to be and just wishes the entire situation would become settled.
“I would like to stay [in Detroit],” he said. “Hopefully that happens and they sign me back before too long.”
