Jigger Statz

Arnold John "Jigger" Statz (October 20, 1897 – March 16, 1988) was an American professional baseball outfielder, manager and scout. He threw and batted right-handed and was listed as tall and .

Statz appeared in 683 games played in Major League Baseball, but had a lengthy and notable career for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League, playing in almost 2,800 games. As of 2021, he is one of only nine players known to have amassed at least 4,000 combined hits in professional baseball across all leagues (major, minor, and international).

Early life Arnold John Statz was born on October 20, 1897 in Waukegan, Illinois to John and Sarah (née Tooman) Statz. He was the middle child, with four sisters, and named for his father's brother. His father was a machinist and the son of German immigrants to the United States, while his mother was the daughter of Irish immigrants. The family briefly relocated to Alabama, where Statz was nicknamed "Chigger" for his small size.

At the age of 12,

In December 1946, he joined the Cubs organization as the team's professional West Coast scout. He reportedly scouted Lou Stringer and Lou Novikoff during a 25-year career as a scout for the organization. From 1948 to 1949, he also managed the Visalia Cubs.

Statz was elected to the inaugural class of the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame in 1943. As of 2026, he holds the PCL records for games played (2,790), hits (3,356), doubles (597), triples (136), and runs scored (1,996). He holds the American professional baseball records for runs scored (2,372) and outfield putouts (8,625), and only Pete Rose has played more games or taken more at-bats professionally in the United States than Statz.

Personal life and death Statz was married in 1921 in Los Angeles. His parents relocated to Los Angeles in 1939.

In early 1943, Statz served as personnel director for the Plomb Tool Company, which manufactured hand tools for the armed forces during World War II.

Statz died of prostate cancer on March 16, 1988 at his home in Corona del Mar, California.