Higbe, Former Dodger Pitching Star, Dies

Walter Kirby Higbe, a former all-star right-hander who pitched for five major league teams and helped lead the Brooklyn Dodgers to the 1941 World Series has died at age 70.

Funeral services were set for 1 p.m. Thursday at Columbia.

Kirby Higbe, as he was known, played in the 1946 All-Star game and later became a big league scout.

He enjoyed his greatest success with the Dodgers, where he posted a 70-38 record in four-plus seasons. His .648 winning percentage ranked among the best in the team’s history.

He also pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Giants and Philadelphia Phillies. He started his major league career with the Cubs in 1937 and finished with the Giants in 1950, missing two prime seasons to serve in World War II.

His only Series start developed into one of the most memorable games in history when Mickey Owen dropped a third strike. Higbe had been relieved before the Dodgers blew a 4-3 lead in the ninth on Owen’s error.

Instead of getting the third-strike pitch to end the game, the Dodgers allowed New York to get a base runner, and the Yankees capitalized with four runs to win the game.