Jimmy Collins

Jimmy Collins
Third Baseman/Manager
Born: January 16, 1870(1870-01-16) Buffalo, New York
Died: March 6, 1943 (aged 73) Buffalo, New York
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 19, 1895 for the Louisville Colonels
Last MLB appearance
August 29, 1908 for the Philadelphia Athletics
Career statistics
Batting average	.285
Hits	1999
Runs batted in	983
Teams
Louisville Colonels (1895) Boston Beaneaters (1895-1900) Boston Americans (1901-1907) Philadelphia Athletics (1907-1908)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion: 1903 National League pennant: 1897, 1898 American League pennant: 1904 National League home run champion: 1898 5 seasons with a .300+ batting average 2 seasons with 100+ RBI 4 seasons with 100+ runs scored
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	1945
Election Method	Veteran's Committee

James Joseph Collins (January 16, 1870 – March 6, 1943) was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century who was widely regarded as being the best third baseman prior to Brooks Robinson. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.

Career

Collins joined the major leagues in 1895 as a member of the Louisville Colonels, but would finish the season with the Boston Beaneaters. He asserted himself as a skilled player in 1897 when he held a .346 batting average and knocked in 132 runs. He followed with an equally impressive 1898 season, in which he hit .328, drove in 111 runs and belted a league-high 15 home runs.

However it was Collins' defense that made him a star. He was best known for his ability to field a bunt -- prior to his debut, it was the shortstop who fielded bunts down the third base line - and is regarded as a pioneer of the modern defensive play of a third baseman.

Jimmy Collins (center, below) with infielders Bobby Lowe, Fred Tenney and Herman Long

Collins joined the Boston Red Sox in 1901 as a player and a manager. He led the team to the World Series title in 1903 and the American League pennant in 1904.

Collins was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1907 and retired there after the 1908 season. He finished his career with 65 home runs, 1055 runs, 983 RBI and a .294 batting average.

Honors

When Collins was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945 he was the first to be chosen primarily as a third baseman. In 1981, Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him in their book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time.

In a 1976 Esquire magazine article, sportswriter Harry Stein published an "All Time All-Star Argument Starter," consisting of five ethnic baseball teams. Because of space limitations the Irish team, including Collins as third baseman, was omitted.

Jimmy Collins was born and died in Buffalo, New York. He is buried in Holy Cross (Roman Catholic) Cemetery, in nearby Lackawanna.

See also

• Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
• List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
• List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
• List of Major League Baseball home run champions

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
• Major league career managerial statistics from Baseball-Reference
• Baseball Hall of Fame – Member biography