Who Was BJ Higgins? Brian Joseph Higgins was an athlete with a soft spot for baseball.

Born in Ottawa in March of 1968, B.J. moved with his parents, Eddie and Lynn, to make a new home in what would become Forest Hills. B.J. attended Caldwell Road and Robert Kempt Turner schools and later Sir Robert Borden Junior High and Cole Harbour High. It was in Forest Hills that B.J. would leave his mark as a capable pitcher.

In 1981, the Forest Hills Minor Baseball Association began its first full year of operation; B.J. pitched for the Beaver A team and finished the regular season with an 8-0 won-lost record. His wins included a no-hitter, a pair of one-hitters and two games in which he struck out 17 batters. B.J. continued to shine in the playoffs. Forest Hills won the round-robin playoffs in four straight games. He pitched two of the wins, including the final, which Forest Hills won 1-0 on the strength of his home run. That same year B.J. pitched for the Dartmouth City Beaver A team that won the Nova Scotia Championship.

Tragedy struck the Higgins family in December of 1982, B.J. was diagnosed with cancer. Months of chemotherapy would follow at the IWK hospital. It was during that time that B.J.’s courage and strength of character became as obvious as his pitching talents.

The following spring, his parents asked doctors if B.J. would be able to play baseball again. They were told that playing wasn’t a problem but that it would not be at the same calibre. Appearing tired, pale and underweight, B.J. struggled during the first week of the season. What he didn’t have in strength he made up for in desire. In the beginning, he only played a few innings at a time, but after just one month he was returning to his old form. In July, he tossed a no-hitter against Westphal and began establishing himself as one of the Bantam A League’s top pitchers. In the playoffs, he pitched a pair of two-hit shutouts as Cole Harbour won the city title. B.J. continued to work through his treatments.

When the disease reappeared in December of 1985, it was obvious that doctors had exhausted all their options. B.J. entered hospital in April 1986. Doctors were convinced he would never leave there. As he had done so many times before during his three and a half years of treatment, he walked out of the hospital on his own strength. B.J. Higgins passed away on May 2, 1986, at home, surrounded by his family.

The BJ Higgins Award: The annual BJ Higgins Awards are not team MVP awards. They are given to a player on each AAA team who, in the opinion of the coaching staff, has demonstrated team spirit, proper attitude and, perseverance; qualities Brian Joseph Higgins displayed during his time playing baseball. Players who receive this award demonstrate the qualities in a baseball player that any coach would be proud to have on his team. CHMBA is very proud to give this award to players who demonstrate the type of qualities that keep our sport in proper perspective and represent the sport of baseball and our region in a positive manner, just as BJ Higgins did during his time with us.