View source for Joe Collins

{{short description|American baseball player (1922-1989)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Joe Collins
|image=Joe Collins 1952.jpg
|position=[[First baseman]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|birth_date={{Birth date|1922|12|3|mf=y}}
|birth_place=[[Scranton, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1989|8|30|1922|12|3}}
|death_place=[[Union Township, Union County, New Jersey]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=September 25
|debutyear=1948
|debutteam=New York Yankees
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 29
|finalyear=1957
|finalteam=New York Yankees
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.256
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=86
|stat3label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=329
|teams=
*[[New York Yankees]] ({{By|1948}}–{{By|1957}})
|highlights=
* 6× [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1949}}–{{wsy|1953}}, {{wsy|1956}})
}}
'''Joseph Edward Collins''' (born '''Joseph Edward Kollonige'''; December 3, 1922 – August 30, 1989) was an American [[Major League Baseball]] player born in [[Scranton, Pennsylvania]].

On September 25, {{By|1948}} he began his major league career playing for the [[New York Yankees]]. He played in 10 Major League seasons and seven World Series, all for the Yankees. At 6'0" tall and 185 pounds, he batted left and threw left, which made him unavailable to play most infield positions, where he was a [[first baseman]] in 715 games regular-season games. He also played 114 games as an [[outfielder]], while his peak number of games played in a season was 130 in 1954.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://seamheads.com/baseballgauge/player.php?ID=112514 |title=SamHeads.com – Joe Collins page |access-date=2014-07-31 |archive-date=2014-08-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811035504/http://seamheads.com/baseballgauge/player.php?ID=112514 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Collins often [[platoon system|platooned]] with [[Moose Skowron]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19870513&id=iycxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5QIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2127,4457202 |title=Don't Blame Casey Stengel For Inventing Platoon System |first=Tom |last=Loomis |newspaper=Toledo Blade |date=May 13, 1987 |page=26 |access-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref> Collins hit 86 regular-season home runs, but more importantly, four in the World Series with powerful Yankee teams. He was a teammate of both [[Joe DiMaggio]] and [[Mickey Mantle]].

His last Major League game was on September 29, 1957. His entire major league career was spent with the Yankees. He was traded to the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] at the start of the 1958 season, but he chose to retire rather than join the Phillies, thus cancelling the trade.

In 908 games over 10 seasons, Collins posted a .256 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] (596-for-2329) with 404 [[run (baseball)|runs]], 79 [[double (baseball)|doubles]], 24 [[triple (baseball)|triples]], 86 [[home runs]], 329 [[Run batted in|RBI]], 338 [[bases on balls]], .350 [[on-base percentage]] and .421 [[slugging percentage]]. He finished his career with a .990 [[fielding percentage]] primarily as a first baseman but also played at all three outfield positions. In 36 postseason games, he made his hits count. He hit only .163 (15-for-92) with 15 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, 10 RBI and 14 walks.

He died in [[Union Township, Union County, New Jersey]] in 1989, and there is a small park there named in his honor.  The park is located off of Liberty Avenue and also has a memorial plaque honoring him.

== See also ==
*[[List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=collijo01 Baseball Almanac]
*[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/collijo01.shtml Baseball Reference]
*[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=collin003jos Baseball Reference (Minor Leagues)]
*[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/C/Pcollj101.htm Retrosheet]
 
{{1949 New York Yankees}}
{{1950 New York Yankees}}
{{1951 New York Yankees}}
{{1952 New York Yankees}}
{{1953 New York Yankees}}
{{1956 New York Yankees}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Joe}}
[[Category:1922 births]]
[[Category:1989 deaths]]
[[Category:Akron Yankees players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Amsterdam Rugmakers players]]
[[Category:Beaumont Exporters players]]
[[Category:Birmingham Barons players]]
[[Category:Butler Yankees players]]
[[Category:Easton Yankees players]]
[[Category:Indios de Oriente players]]
[[Category:Kansas City Blues (baseball) players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball first basemen]]
[[Category:New York Yankees players]]
[[Category:Newark Bears (International League) players]]
[[Category:Norfolk Tars players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Union Township, Union County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Union County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Springfield Rifles players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Scranton, Pennsylvania]]