Kevin Collins (baseball)
| Kevin Collins | ||
|---|---|---|
Runs batted in | 34 | |
| Teams | ||
Kevin Michael Collins (August 4, 1946 – February 20, 2016) was a Major League Baseball infielder with the New York Mets, Montreal Expos and Detroit Tigers.[1] He played primarily as a third baseman and sometimes as a second baseman. He also played a few games at other positions, including shortstop, first baseman and outfielder.[2]
Collins was signed by the Mets as an amateur free agent on January 1, 1964 after a high school career at Springfield Tech High School.
In 1965, Collins made his major league debut with the Mets on September 1. He played in 11 games for the Mets in 1965, splitting time between third base and shortstop, getting 23 at-bats and a batting average of .174. At age 19 years, 28 days, he was the 4th youngest player to appear in the major leagues that season.[2]
In 1966, Collins played the entire season in the minor leagues at the Mets class-AA affiliate, the
Collins was promoted to the
In 1968, Collins again started the year with Jacksonville. He played 28 games at Tidewater, batting .248 in 101 at-bats before being promoted to the Mets.[4] With the Mets in 1968, Collins played in 58 games, mostly as a third baseman. He batted .201 in 154 at-bats.[2] He also hit his first Major League home run that season, on August 6.[7]
Collins began the 1969 season with the Mets. He played 16 games for the Mets, all at third base, getting 40 at-bats but only batting .150. His last game with the Mets before being demoted to the Mets new class-AAA affiliate in
On June 15, 1969, Collins was traded to the
After the 1969 season, Collins was sold by the Expos to the Detroit Tigers.[2] With the Tigers in 1970, Collins played only 25 games, mostly as a pinch hitter. He played in only one game in the field, his only career game at first base. He batted .208 in 24 at-bats for the Tigers that season.[2]
Collins only played in 35 games with the Tigers in 1971, and again only a few in the field. In 1971 he played some games at third base, second base and in the outfield. He batted .268 in 41 at-bats, the highest batting average in his major league career.[2]
In June, 1973, Collins was traded by the Tigers along with
After a few more minor league seasons, Collins retired from baseball in 1974.
He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and died in Naples, Florida.
References
- ^ Baseball Almanac page
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Baseball-Reference - Kevin Collins". Retrieved 2017-01-19.
- ^ "The Baseball Cube - Kevin Collins". Archived from the original on 2008-05-26. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
- ^ a b c d e "Ultimate Mets - Kevin Collins Minor League Statistics". Retrieved 2008-10-12.
- ^ a b c d Wells, B. (April 4, 2009). "Kevin Collins, former major league ballplayer from Springfield, has no regrets". The Republican. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
- ^ a b "Jacksonville Suns 1967". Retrieved 2008-10-12.
- ^ a b "Ultimate Mets - Kevin Collins Game Log". Retrieved 2008-10-12.
- ^ "Baseball-Reference - Donn Clendenon". Retrieved 2008-10-12.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
