Jimmy Collins

Before Jimmy Collins, third base was a stationary position. The third baseman stood near the bag. Bunts down the line belonged to the shortstop. Collins changed that. He charged in, scooped bunts barehanded, and fired to first in a single motion, inventing a style of play that became the standard for every third baseman who followed. He was the first player inducted into the Hall of Fame primarily for his work at the position, and when Cy Young named his all-time team in 1943, he put Collins at third base alongside Cap Anson at first, Nap Lajoie at second, Honus Wagner at short, and Roger Bresnahan behind the plate.

Buffalo to Boston

James Joseph Collins was born in Niagara Falls, New York, on January 16, 1870, the son of Anthony and Alice Collins, both Irish immigrants. His father was a policeman who eventually rose to captain. Collins attended St. Joseph's College in Buffalo, earned a diploma in commercial studies in 1888, and then pursued baseball through the semipro ranks before reaching the minor leagues in Buffalo.

He broke into the major leagues on April 19, 1895, with the Boston Beaneaters, joining a roster that included Hugh Duffy in center field and Kid Nichols on the mound. Collins found his footing quickly. In 1897 he hit .346 with 132 RBI. In 1898 he led the National League in home runs (15) and total bases (286) while batting .328. That same year he began perfecting the defensive techniques that separated him from every other third baseman in the game.

Collins played deeper behind the bag than his contemporaries, which extended his range, then charged in aggressively on bunts. He was the first third baseman to regularly bare-hand slow rollers and throw on the run. He knew which hitters bunted, and he knew Willie Keeler bunted constantly, so he adjusted his positioning depending on who stood at the plate. He led league third basemen in putouts five times, assists four times, and still ranks second all-time in career putouts at the position, behind only Brooks Robinson.

The American League

In 1901, the American League launched as a competing major league, and Collins was a central figure in legitimizing it. He accepted the player-manager position with the new Boston Americans franchise for $3,500, a significant raise. His departure from the established Beaneaters, along with Hugh Duffy and other defectors, gave the fledgling league credibility it needed to survive.

Collins also helped recruit Cy Young to join the Americans, assembling the pitching staff that would soon make history.

The First World Series

In 1903, Collins' Boston Americans faced Honus Wagner's Pittsburgh Pirates in what became the first modern World Series, a best-of-nine affair. Pittsburgh took a 3-1 series lead. Then Boston won four straight. Cy Young and Bill Dinneen dominated on the mound. Collins batted .250 with two triples and five runs scored. The Boston Royal Rooters, a fan contingent known for their volume, tormented Wagner at every at-bat by singing "Honus, Honus, why do you hit so badly?" to the tune of "Tessie," a popular song of the day. Wagner batted .222 with six errors. Collins was the winning manager.

In 1904, Boston won another American League pennant, but John McGraw's New York Giants refused to participate in a World Series, denying Collins a second chance at a title.

After Baseball

Collins was traded to Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics in 1907 and played two more seasons before retiring from the majors. He managed briefly in the minor leagues, then returned to Buffalo and invested heavily in South Buffalo real estate, building multifamily rental housing. The investments peaked during World War I but declined through the 1920s, and Collins lost properties to foreclosure during the Depression. By 1935, he was working for the Buffalo Parks Department.

He found another role in baseball that lasted longer. Collins served as president of the Buffalo Municipal Baseball Association for 22 consecutive terms, from 1922 until his death, expanding amateur baseball opportunities for youth across the city.

He died on March 6, 1943, in Buffalo, at 73, two years before the Old Timers Committee elected him to the Hall of Fame. He was the first third baseman to receive the honor.