Jimmy Collins

This first book-length biography of Jimmy Collins examines the life of an intensely private, business-oriented ballplayer who was the first third baseman to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Collins’ life is covered in depth from his early years growing up in Buffalo, through his 14-year major league baseball career 1895–1908 primarily in Boston, to his post-baseball life as a real estate investor. This book sheds new light on Collins’ motivations to leverage his baseball success—which included leading Boston to victory in the first modern-day World Series in 1903—into lucrative baseball contracts to fund his real estate investments. When he led the Boston Americans to successive American League championships in 1903 and 1904, Collins was instrumental in the foundation of today’s highly successful Boston Red Sox franchise and its intense rivalry with the New York Yankees.

Charlie Bevis, a member of the Society for American Baseball Research, is an adjunct professor of English at Rivier University. He has written for Nine, The Cooperstown Symposium, The National Pastime and Base Ball, and is the author of several baseball books. He lives in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

Charlie Bevis
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 244
Bibliographic Info: 16 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6359-6
eISBN: 978-0-7864-9232-9
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      1

1. Businessman in a Baseball Uniform      5

2. Policeman’s Son      10

3. Ballplayer in Buffalo      19

4. Sold to Boston, Loaned to Louisville      31

5. Boston’s Third Baseman      40

6. Temple Cup Series and All-America Tour      49

7. Long-Ball Hitter      58

8. Fielding Wizard      64

9. Players Union Representative      71

10. Jump to the American League      78

11. Rookie Manager      88

12. Soft-Spoken Leadership      98

13. Champions of the American League      106

14. The First World Series      114

15. Spring Training in Macon      123

16. Another Championship Season      129

17. Clash with Boston Ownership      140

18. Minor League Magnate      147

19. Manager Absent Without Leave      151

20. Making Sense of “It”      164

21. Playing for Mack in Philadelphia      171

22. Back to the Minor Leagues      177

23. Real Estate Mogul      189

24. Muny League President      197

25. Hall of Fame Selection      208

26. Legacy to Baseball      213

Chapter Notes      223

Bibliography      232

Index      235

Finalist, Larry Ritter Book Award—SABR
“a well-written, thorough biography”—Reference & Research Book News.