Eddie Collins

Edward Trowbridge Collins Sr., popularly known as Eddie Collins, was an extraordinary figure in early 20th‑century American baseball, celebrated for his remarkable durability, exceptional skill, and pioneering contributions both on the field and in the front office. Born on May 2, 1887 in the small village of Millerton, New York, Collins attended Columbia University where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, a rare accomplishment among major leaguers of his era, and began his professional career while still a student, initially using the alias “Sullivan” to protect his collegiate eligibility. Making his major‑league debut with the Philadelphia Athletics on September 17, 1906, he quickly became the franchise’s everyday second baseman, joining the famed "$100,000 infield" and helping the Athletics capture three World Series titles between 1910 and 1914 while also leading the American League in stolen bases four times; his 81 steals in 1910 made him the first player ever to swipe more than eighty bases in a single season. In 1914 he earned the Chalmers Award, the precursor to the MVP, and was later sold to the Chicago White Sox for a record‑setting $50,000, underscoring his value to the sport. With the White Sox he continued to excel, contributing to pennants in 1917 and 1919 and joining the exclusive 3,000‑hit club on June 3, 1925, becoming only the sixth player to reach that milestone at the time. After serving as player‑manager for Chicago from 1924 to 1926, Collins returned to Philadelphia as a player‑coach, culminating his playing days with additional World Series championships in 1929 and 1930, though he did not appear in the final games. Transitioning seamlessly to management, he became vice‑president and general manager of the Boston Red Sox in 1933, where his astute talent‑identification yielded future Hall‑of‑Famers such as Ted Williams, Joe Cronin, and Bobby Doerr; under his stewardship the Red Sox won their first pennant in 28 years in 1946. Collins retired from baseball after a 41‑year career that spanned playing, managing, and executive roles, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. Remembered for his immaculate .333 career batting average, 3,315 hits, 745 stolen bases, and a then‑record 512 sacrifice bunts, he remains the only player to accumulate 3,000 hits with fewer than 50 home runs and the only non‑Yankee to win five or more World Series titles with the same franchise, cementing his legacy as one of the sport’s most versatile and influential pioneers.