Jimmy Collins
| Birthdate | 1/16/1870 |
| Death Date | 3/6/1943 |
| Debut Year | 1895 |
| Year of Induction | 1945 |
| Teams | Athletics, Beaneaters, Colonels, Red Sox |
| Positions | Manager, Third Base |
Jimmy Collins was a premier third baseman from 1895-1908. He held the record for putouts at his position until Brooks Robinson surpassed it.
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Jimmy Collins was early baseball's greatest-fielding third baseman
Jimmy Collins was early baseball's greatest-fielding third baseman
Jimmy Collins broke into the big leagues in 1895 with the National League’s Boston Beaneaters. He spent parts of 13 of his 14 MLB seasons in Boston in both the AL and NL.
Regarded as the finest-fielder at his position, Collins revolutionized the game. In the 1800s it was the shortstop who fielded bunts. With his quick feet and strong arm, Collins was the first third baseman to regularly field the sacrifice attempts.
Collins jumped from the NL to the AL after the 1900 season. Despite the league change he stayed in the same city. In 1901 he became player/manager of the Boston Americans who later became the Red Sox.
In 1903 he led the Americans to baseball’s first World Series. Backed by the pitching of Cy Young and Bill Dinneen, Boston beat Honus Wagner’s Pirates. Collins remained at the post until the middle of the ’06 season.
By the time he retired as a player in 1908 he was baseball’s all time leader in putouts by a third baseman. Collins held the record until Brooks Robinson surpassed it in the 1970s.
His career totals include 1,999 hits, 983 RBI, and a .294 lifetime average. As a skipper he piloted Boston to a 455-376 record, good for a .548 winning percentage.
In addition to the ’03 World Series triumph, Collins’ Boston teams also earned the 1904 AL pennant. That season no World Series was played.
Collins’ excellence was recognized when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame just months after his death in 1943.
