MLB Greatest Players

Eddie Collins

Edward Trowbridge Collins Jr. was a rarity in baseball’s early days – he attended college. The 19-year old joined the Philadelphia Athletics in 1906, fresh from the campus of Columbia University. Two years later he was the starting second baseman for Connie Mack’s A’s, helping to form the famed $100,000 Infield.

When Collins arrived for a short stay with the A’s in 1906, he played under the name "Sullivan" to protect his identity and eligibility for college sports. He was at the time the starting quarterback for the Columbia football team.

From 1910 to 1914, the A’s won four of five AL pennants, and three World Titles. They were a dynasty built around speed, defense, and pitching. Collins was a fantastic World Series performer for the A’s, hitting .429 in the 1910 Series with four steals, and .421 with three swipes in the 1913 Fall Classic.

Collins was a slap hitter with great bat control and patience. He led the AL in walks in 1915 with 119. He was usually used as a leadoff man, leading the league in runs from 1912-1914. Next to Ty Cobb he was the best base stealer of his era, leading the circuit in 1910 with 81 thefts. He also led in steals in 1923 and 1924, when he was past the age of 36. While baseball moved away from inside baseball tactics in the 1920s, Collins remained steadfast.

After the 1914 season, Collins was sold to the Chicago White Sox for $50,000. He starred for the Sox for the next twelve seasons, playing more games in their uniform than he had for Philadelphia. In 1916 he enjoyed a 20-game batting streak. He was named captain of the team by manager Kid Gleason. In 1917 the Sox won the World Series and in 1919 they lost it to the Reds. The 1919 Series was crooked – with eight players playing dishonestly. Collins set a record in that Fall Classic with his 14th steal in the post-season.

He was named player/manager of the Sox late in 1924, and the next two seasons he guided them to winning records. He was released by Chicago following the 1926 season and re-joined Mack on the A’s. With the A’s he was a coach and player, mostly a pinch-hitter. In 1927 he led the AL with 12 pinch-hits, in 34 at-bats. He joined Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker on the 1928 A’s team and last appeared as a player in 1930. In 1929, after the death of Miller Huggins, Collins was offered the job of managing the Yankees. He refused, believing he would follow Mack as skipper of the A’s.

Collins holds the AL record for service, at 25 seasons. He holds the White Sox single-season mark with his 224 hits in 1920, a season in which he had a 22-game hitting streak. Twice he stole six bases in one game, within a two-week stretch in 1912. His career steals total ranks among the top-ten on the all-time list. He followed his playing and coaching career as general manager of the Boston Red Sox until 1951. With the BoSox he helped rebuild the team, and was instrumental in the signings of Bobby Doerr and Ted Williams.

Nicknames
"Cocky"

Played For
Philadelphia A's (1906-1914, 1927-1930), Chicago White Sox (1915-1926)

Managed
Chicago White Sox (1924-1926)

Post-Season
1910 World Series, 1911 World Series, 1913 World Series, 1914 World Series, 1917 World Series, 1919 World Series

World Champion?
Yes, 1910, 1911, 1913 A's, and the 1917 White Sox.