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Edward Trowbridge Collins, Sr. (May 2, 1887 – March 25, 1951), nicknamed "Cocky", was an American second baseman, manager and executive in Major League Baseball who played from 1906 to 1930 for the Philadelphia Athletics and Chicago White Sox. He was the greatest star on the Athletics' "$100,000 infield" which propelled the team to four American League (AL) pennants and three World Series titles between 1910 and 1914, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player in 1914; after that season his contract was sold to the White Sox, and he helped them to capture pennants in 1917 and 1919. At the end of his career, he ranked second in major league history in career games (2,826), walks (1,499) and stolen bases (744), third in runs scored (1,821), fourth in hits (3,315) and at bats (9,949), sixth in on base percentage (.424), and eighth in total bases (4,268); he was also fourth in AL history in triples (187). He still holds the major league record of 512 career sacrifice hits, over 100 more than any other player. He was the first major leaguer in modern history to steal 80 bases in a season, and still shares the major league record of six steals in a game, which he accomplished twice in September 1912. He regularly batted over .320, retiring with a career average of .333. He also holds major league records for career games (2,650), assists (7,630) and total chances (14,591) at second base, and ranks second in putouts (6,526); his total of 1,215 double plays was a record until Charlie Gehringer passed him in 1938. Under the win shares statistical rating system created by baseball historian and analyst Bill James, Collins was the greatest second baseman of all time.
[edit] Biography
A native of Millerton, New York, Collins was known for his steady bat and speed. After graduating from Columbia University, he broke into the majors in 1906 with the Philadelphia Athletics and worked his way to full time play by 1909. That season, he had a .347 batting average and 67 steals. The following year, Collins stole a career-high 81 bases and won his first of four World Series championships.
Collins moved to the Chicago White Sox in 1915, where he continued to post top-ten batting and stolen base numbers. He played on the notorious "Black Sox" team that threw the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds, but was not in on the fix and played honestly. He was the playing manager of the White Sox from August 1924 through the 1926 season, posting a record of 174-160 (.521). He then returned to the Athletics in 1927 and retired after the 1930 season. In 1931-1932, he served as a Philadelphia coach and, from 1933 through 1947, as the general manager for the Boston Red Sox. With the Red Sox, Collins helped rebuild the team, and was instrumental in the signings of Bobby Doerr and Ted Williams.
Collins finished his career with 1,300 runs batted in, which remained the record for a player who never collected 100 in a season until Pete Rose passed him in 1986. Collins is still the only player in history to play for two teams in at least 12 seasons each. He is considered one of the greatest bunters and leadoff men in baseball history. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
In an article in 1976 in Esquire magazine, 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 second baseman, was omitted.
In 1999, he ranked number 24 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
His son, Eddie Jr., also played with the A's.
[edit] Regular season stats
[edit] Trivia
- A set of baseball fields and a recreation park is named after and dedicated to Eddie Collins in Millerton, New York.
- Collins often parked a quid of bubble gum on the button of his cap, and chewed it for good luck.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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Chicago White Sox managers |
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Baseball Hall of Fame 
