Collins, "Eddie" (Edward T.)
Baseball
b. May 2, 1887, Millerton, NY
d. March 25, 1951
Nicknamed "Cocky" because of his aggressive demeanor and style of play, Collins was one of the few college-educated players of his era. He entered Columbia University in New York when he was sixteen and starred as a football quarterback, playing semi-pro baseball during summers to earn tuition money.
After his junior year, Collins played briefly for the Philadelphia Athletics, using the name "Sullivan" to avoid losing his college eligibility. But, when he returned to school in the fall of 1906, he found that he had been ruled ineligible for playing as a semi-professional. Unable to play, he coached the Columbia baseball team during his senior year.
Collins had another brief stint with the Athletics in 1907 and joined the team for the entire 1908 season as a second baseman after having previously played shortstop and third base.
He became a full-time starter in 1909, batting .346 and stealing 67 bases. A left-handed hitter, Collins choked up on a heavy bat and hit line drives to all fields. Though he lacked power, he did hit a lot of triples because of his speed. An expert at getting on base and scoring runs, Collins usually batted second rather than leadoff because he was skilled at the hit and run play.
Collins hit .322 and led the league with 81 stolen bases in 1910, when Philadelphia won the pennant, and he had 9 hits for a .429 average in a five-game World Series victory over the Chicago Cubs. He was also the stolen base leader with 33 in 1919, 47 in 1923, and 42 in 1924. He led in runs scored three years in a row, with 137 in 1912, 125 in 1913, and 122 in 1914, when he was named the AL's most valuable player.
The Athletics won pennants in 1911, 1913, and 1914, and were World Series champions in 1911 and 1913. But Collins threatened to jump to the Federal League, which had begun operating in 1914, and Mack sold him to the Chicago White Sox for $50,000.
In 1917, Collins hit just .289, but the White Sox won the pennant and he batted .409 in a seven-game victory over the New York Giants in the World Series. He scored the winning run in the seventh game on a fluke play: He was caught in a rundown between third and home after a ground ball, but the Giants left home plate uncovered and he crossed the plate with New York third baseman Heinie Zimmerman in vain pursuit.
The 1919 World Series was not so happy for the White Sox. Heavily favored, they lost to the Cincinnati Reds, five games to three. A year later, eight players were indicted for conspiring to throw the series. Though acquitted, they were banned from organized baseball for life. Collins was among the honest White Sox who were bitter over the betrayal.
Collins became playing manger of the team in 1925. He hit .346 that season and .344 in 1926, but Chicago finished fifth both years and he was released. He returned to the Athletics in 1927, when he batted .338. During the next three years, he was primarily a coach, appearing in only 48 games.
He retired as a player after the 1930 season and coached for two more years, then became vice-president of the Boston Red Sox. On a 1937 scouting trip to the West Coast, Collins arranged for the purchase of Ted Williams from the San Diego minor league team and signed him to his first Red Sox contract.
Collins still holds records for most games at second base, 2,650; most chances accepted, 14,156; and most assists, 7,630.