Chub Collins
Encyclopedia
Charles Augustus "Chub" Collins (October 12, 1857 – May 20, 1914) was a Major League Baseball
player from Dundas, Ontario
. He was one of the first Canadians to play in Major League Baseball
. A switch-hitter who threw right-handed, Collins played two seasons as a second baseman
and shortstop
in the early days of the National League
and the American Association
.
Collins reached the major leagues in May 1884 at age 26. He played 45 games for the National League
Buffalo Bisons in 1884, on a talented team featuring the all-star infield known as the "Big Four": Dan Brouthers
, Hardy Richardson
, and Deacon White
and later Jack Rowe
. In 45 games for the Bisons, Collins played mostly at shortstop, and hit .178 in 169 at bats with 36 strikeouts. Mid-season, Collins moved to the Indianapolis Hoosiers
of the American Association
, where he played 38 games and hit .225.
Collins' final season in Major League Baseball
was 1885, when he played for the Detroit Wolverines
of the National League
. Collins played in only 14 games at shortstop for the Wolverines, committing 11 errors for an awful .792 fielding percentage
. Collins played his final major league game on July 11, 1885.
After leaving baseball, Collins returned to his hometown of Dundas, Ontario
, where he served as mayor from 1901-1902.
Collins died in Dundas, Ontario
in 1914 at age 56. He is buried at St. Augustine Cemetery in Dundas.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player from Dundas, Ontario
Dundas, Ontario
Dundas is a formerly independent town and now constituent community in the city of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. It's nickname is the Valley Town. The population has been stable for decades at about twenty thousand, largely because it has not annexed rural land from the protected Dundas Valley...
. He was one of the first Canadians to play in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. A switch-hitter who threw right-handed, Collins played two seasons as a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
and shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
in the early days of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
and the American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
.
Collins reached the major leagues in May 1884 at age 26. He played 45 games for the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Buffalo Bisons in 1884, on a talented team featuring the all-star infield known as the "Big Four": Dan Brouthers
Dan Brouthers
Dennis Joseph "Dan" Brouthers was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball whose career spanned the period from to , with a brief return in...
, Hardy Richardson
Hardy Richardson
Abram Harding "Hardy" Richardson was a second basemen and outfielder mostly, who played in the Major Leagues for a number of teams throughout the 19th century. Most of Richardson's career was with the Buffalo Bisons...
, and Deacon White
Deacon White
James Laurie "Deacon" White was an American baseball player who was one of the principal stars during the first two decades of the sport's professional era...
and later Jack Rowe
Jack Rowe
John Charles "Jack" Rowe was an American baseball player.Rowe was born in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, in 1911. He first played baseball under Tom Loftus with the Peoria Reds in 1878. In 1879, Rowe and his brother, Dave Rowe, signed with the Rockford team in the newly formed Northwestern League...
. In 45 games for the Bisons, Collins played mostly at shortstop, and hit .178 in 169 at bats with 36 strikeouts. Mid-season, Collins moved to the Indianapolis Hoosiers
Indianapolis Hoosiers (American Association)
The Indianapolis Hoosiers were a professional baseball team who played one season at the major league level. They played in the American Association in and finished in 12th place with a 29-78 record, 46 games behind the first-place New York Metropolitans. Their home games were played at Seventh...
of the American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
, where he played 38 games and hit .225.
Collins' final season in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
was 1885, when he played for the Detroit Wolverines
Detroit Wolverines
The Detroit Wolverines were a 19th century baseball team that played in the National League from 1881 to 1888 in the city of Detroit, Michigan. In total, they won 426 games and lost 437, taking their lone pennant in 1887. The team was disbanded following the 1888 season.-Franchise...
of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. Collins played in only 14 games at shortstop for the Wolverines, committing 11 errors for an awful .792 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
. Collins played his final major league game on July 11, 1885.
After leaving baseball, Collins returned to his hometown of Dundas, Ontario
Dundas, Ontario
Dundas is a formerly independent town and now constituent community in the city of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. It's nickname is the Valley Town. The population has been stable for decades at about twenty thousand, largely because it has not annexed rural land from the protected Dundas Valley...
, where he served as mayor from 1901-1902.
Collins died in Dundas, Ontario
Dundas, Ontario
Dundas is a formerly independent town and now constituent community in the city of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. It's nickname is the Valley Town. The population has been stable for decades at about twenty thousand, largely because it has not annexed rural land from the protected Dundas Valley...
in 1914 at age 56. He is buried at St. Augustine Cemetery in Dundas.