Eddie Collins Edward Trowbridge Collins Sr. (May 2, 1887 - March 25, 1951), nicknamed "Cocky", was a Major League Baseball player from 1906 to 1930. Under the win shares statistical rating system created by baseball historian and analyst Bill James, Collins was the best second baseman of all time. He is also ninth on the all-time hit list. A native of Millerton, New York, Collins was known for his steady bat and speed. He broke into the Majors in 1906 with the Philadelphia Athletics and work his way to full time play by 1909. That season, he had a .347 batting average and 67 steals. The following year, Collins stole a career-high 81 bases and won his first of four World Series championships.
Collins moved to the Chicago White Sox in 1915, where he continued to post top-ten batting and stolen base numbers. He played on the notorious "Black Sox" team that threw the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds, but was not in on the fix and played honestly. He was the playing manager of the White Sox from August 1924 through the 1926 season, posting a record of 174-160 (.521). He then returned to the Athletics in 1927 and retired after the 1930 season. In 1931-32, he served as a Philadelphia coach and, from 1933 through 1947, as the general manager for the Boston Red Sox. With the BoSox Collins helped rebuild the team, and was instrumental in the signings of Bobby Doerr and Ted Williams.
Collins finished his career with 3,315 hits, 744 steals, 1,300 RBI and a .333 batting average. He won the MVP Award in 1914. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
In 1999, he ranked number 24 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
