James Joseph Collins (January 16, 1870 - March 6, 1943) was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century who was widely regarded as being the American League's best third baseman prior to Brooks Robinson.
Collins joined the league in 1895 as a member of the Louisville Colonels, but would finish the season with the Boston Beaneaters.
Collins asserted himself as a skilled player in 1897 when he held a .346 batting average and knocked in 132 runs. He followed with an equally impressive 1898 season, in which he hit .328, drove in 111 runs and belted a league-high 15 home runs.
Collins joined the Boston Red Sox in 1901 as a player and a manager. He led the team to the World Series title in 1903 and the American League pennant in 1904.
Collins was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1907 and retired there after the 1908 season. He finished his career with 65 home runs, 1055 runs, 983 RBI and a .294 batting average.
Collins was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945, and was the first player chosen primarily as a third baseman.
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