Eddie Collins
Eddie Collins CC 1907 is a member of the Baseball National Hall of Fame, and considered by many to have been the greatest second baseman to have ever played the game. He was a member of the "$100,000" infield of the Philadelphia Athletics, and was one of the "clean" players on the 1919 "Black Sox" team. Collins was the 1914 AL MVP and was on 4 world series championship teams.
Collins at Columbia
Collins, a "student of political economy and psychology... was a cheery, unassuming fellow, always ready for a rollicking time, careless about his work, yet gifted with a quick mind and an alertness which easily put him above the average student, frank, good-natured and withal one of the greatest athletes Columbia or any other college has ever had." [1]
Collins made the varsity baseball team his freshman year and was a stand-out on an otherwise unmemorable team. After three years of playing for the lions, Collins played 16 at-bats for Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics during the 1906 baseball season under a pseudonym. Members of the college faculty caught wind of his summer exploits as a professional and barred from playing his senior season, so Collins coached the 1907 baseball team instead.
Collins also played football at Columbia, playing quarterback during the 1905-1906 season[2], after which the game was banned at Columbia.[3]
A classmate recalled that Collins once knocked a brown derby hat off a freshman's head with a well aimed snowball from 75 yards away.[4]
In the spring of 1914, Collins returned to campus to mentor the baseball team before heading down to spring training with the White Sox. [5]
Post-Columbia career
In 1933, Tom Yawkey bought the Boston Red Sox on Collins' advice. Collins, who was a part owner, served as General Manager of the Sox until 1947. Collins signed Ted Williams after scouting him during a trip to San Diego. [6]
Along with Jackie Robinson, Collins is considered by many to be the best second baseman ever. Baseball Prosepctus' Bill James said of him: "Collins sustained a remarkable level of performance for a remarkably long time. He was past thirty when the lively ball era began, yet he adapted to it and continued to be one of the best players in baseball every year...his was the most valuable career that any second baseman ever had."
Collins was part of the inaugural baseball hall of fame class in 1939.
References
- ↑ "Eddie Collins Wonderful Gridiron Star as Well" Atlanta Constitution October 30, 1910
- ↑ ibid
- ↑ C250 Timeline 1902-1945
- ↑ ibid
- ↑ BASEBALL AT COLUMBIA.; Eddie Collins to Give Early Instruction to Candidates - NY Times Feb 9, 1914
- ↑ EDDIE COLLINS: WHITE ELEPHANTS AND BLACK SOX
