Eddie Collins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eddie Collins
Collins with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1911
Second baseman / Manager
Born: (1887-05-02)May 2, 1887 Millerton, New York, U.S.
Died: March 25, 1951(1951-03-25) (aged 63) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Right
debut
September 17, 1906, for the Philadelphia Athletics
Last appearance
August 2, 1930, for the Philadelphia Athletics
MLB statistics
Batting average	.333
Hits	3,315
Home runs	47
Runs batted in	1,300
Stolen bases	745
Managerial record	174–160
Winning %	.521
Teams
As player Philadelphia Athletics (1906–1914) Chicago White Sox (1915–1926) Philadelphia Athletics (1927–1930) As manager Chicago White Sox (1924–1926)
Career highlights and awards
6× World Series champion (1910, 1911, 1913, 1917, 1929, 1930) AL MVP (1914) 4× AL stolen base leader (1910, 1919, 1923, 1924) Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame Athletics Hall of Fame Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	1939
Vote	77.7% (fourth ballot)

Edward Trowbridge Collins Sr. (born May 2, 1887 – died March 25, 1951), also known as "Cocky", was a famous American baseball player, manager, and team executive. He played as a second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1906 to 1930. He played for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Chicago White Sox.

Eddie Collins was a very skilled player. He holds many MLB records and is among the best players in several categories. In 1925, he became only the sixth person ever to get 3,000 career hits. He is also the only player not from the Yankees to win five or more World Series titles with the same team as a player. He was part of all five World Series wins for the Athletics while they were in Philadelphia.

After he stopped playing, Collins coached and managed in the major leagues. He also worked as the general manager for the Boston Red Sox. He was chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.

Early Life and College Baseball

Edward Trowbridge Collins Sr. was born on May 2, 1887, in Millerton, New York. This was a small village in Dutchess County, New York.

Collins went to Columbia University, which was unusual for baseball players back then. He was known for his great hitting and his ability to steal bases. He started his professional baseball career on September 17, 1906, when he was 19. He signed with the Philadelphia Athletics. At first, he played some minor league games using the last name Sullivan to keep his college status. However, it was found out he had played for other teams, so he lost his college eligibility. Then, he officially joined the Athletics.

Playing in the Major Leagues

Philadelphia Athletics (1906–1914)

Collins in 1911

After playing mostly in the minor leagues in 1907, Collins became a full-time player for the Athletics by 1909. That year, he had a .347 batting average and stole 67 bases. He became the team's main second baseman, a position he played for the rest of his career. In 1910, Collins stole a career-high 81 bases. He was the first American League (AL) player to steal at least 80 bases in one season. He also won the first of his six World Series championships that year.

Collins is 11th all-time in MLB for most hits with 3,315. He is 7th all-time for most stolen bases with 745. He is one of only five players to steal six bases in a single game. He is the only player to do it twice, and both times happened within eleven days in September 1912.

He was part of the Athletics' famous "$100,000 infield." This group helped the team win four AL titles and three World Series between 1910 and 1914. In 1914, he won the AL's Chalmers Award, an early MVP award.

After the 1914 season, the Athletics' manager, Connie Mack, sold Collins to the White Sox for $50,000. This was the highest price ever paid for a player at that time.

Chicago White Sox (1915–1926)

Baseball Card

Collins playing second base in 1923

In Chicago, Collins continued to be a top player in hitting and stolen bases. He helped the White Sox win AL titles in 1917 and 1919. He was part of the team known as the "Black Sox" that played in the 1919 World Series. Collins was not involved in any wrongdoing and played honestly during that series. He later said he felt no pity for the players who were banned from baseball because they knew what they were doing.

In August 1924, Collins became the player-manager for the White Sox. He held this job through the 1926 season. During this time, the team had more wins than losses.

On June 3, 1925, he got his 3,000th career hit. He was the sixth player in MLB history to join the 3,000 hit club. This happened while playing for the White Sox against the Detroit Tigers.

Return to the Athletics (1927–1930)

Collins went back to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1927 as a player-coach. He mostly played as a pinch hitter in his last three years. The Athletics won the World Series in 1929 and 1930. Collins did not play in those final series games. His last game as a player was on August 2, 1930.

Collins ended his career with 1,300 runs batted in. He is the only MLB player to play for two different teams for at least 12 seasons each. When he retired, he was second in MLB history for career games played (2,826) and walks (1,499). He was also third in runs scored (1,821) and fourth in hits (3,315).

He still holds the MLB record for 512 career sacrifice bunts. He was the first modern player to steal 80 bases in a season. He also shares the record for stealing six bases in a game, which he did twice. Collins had a career batting average of .333. He also holds MLB records for games (2,650), assists (7,630), and total chances (14,591) at second base. He is one of only 31 players to play in major league games across four different decades.

Working in Baseball Management

After the Athletics won the 1930 World Series, Collins stopped playing. He immediately became a full-time coach for the Athletics.

After two seasons as a coach, Collins became the vice president and general manager of the Boston Red Sox. The new owner, Tom Yawkey, was a good friend of Collins. Yawkey bought the Red Sox because Collins suggested it. Collins took over a team that had been struggling for a long time.

In 1933, under Collins' leadership, the Red Sox became the first team to have a Mexican-born player in the major leagues, Mel Almada.

Collins stayed as general manager until the 1947 season. He retired at age 60 due to health reasons, ending his 41 years in baseball. During his 15 years as general manager, Collins signed future Hall of Fame players like Joe Cronin, Ted Williams, and Bobby Doerr.

Under Collins' leadership, the Red Sox won the AL title in 1946. This was their first title in 28 years. After he died in 1951, the Red Sox put up a plaque at Fenway Park to honor him. In May 2018, the Red Sox removed the plaque. This was reportedly because the team did not have Black players before Collins left in 1947.

Collins was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. He passed away on March 25, 1951, at age 63, due to a heart condition.

Managerial Record

Eddie Collins' Legacy

In 1999, Eddie Collins was ranked number 24 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. He was also considered for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. He played on a total of six World Series-winning teams (1910, 1911, 1913, 1917, 1929, and 1930).

According to a baseball rating system called "win shares" created by historian Bill James, Collins was the greatest second baseman of all time.

His son, Eddie Jr., also played baseball for Yale University. He briefly played in the major leagues and later worked for the Philadelphia Phillies' front office.