Zip Collins
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1914-1921)
Zip Collins was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1914 to 1921 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Boston Braves, and the Philadelphia Athletics, a span of 8 seasons. In 281 career games, he hit .253 with 232 hits, 2 home runs, and 63 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 152 lb
- Died
- 12/19/1983 in Manassas, VA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1914-07-30
- Last Game
- 1921-09-27
Full name: John Edgar Collins
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 281 | 916 | 124 | 232 | 17 | 14 | 2 | 63 | 15 | 58 | 100 | .253 | .301 | .309 | .610 | -840 |
Career AVG .253 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .301 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 6.7% below league average.
Career SLG .309 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — 10.2% below league average.
Career OPS .610 vs. league average .667 across their career seasons — 8.5% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | PIT | NL | 49 | 182 | 14 | 44 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 8 | 10 | .242 | .255 (-5%) | .322 (-14%) | .339 (-25%) | .661 (-20%) | -527.1 |
| 1915 | PIT | NL | 101 | 354 | 51 | 104 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 23 | 6 | 24 | 38 | .294 | .250 (+17%) | .318 (+7%) | .332 (+6%) | .651 (+7%) | 382.6 |
| 1915 | BSN | NL | 5 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .286 | — | — | — | — | 382.6 |
| 1916 | BSN | NL | 93 | 268 | 39 | 56 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 18 | 4 | 18 | 42 | .209 | .248 (-16%) | .314 (-17%) | .326 (-18%) | .640 (-17%) | -696.7 |
| 1917 | BSN | NL | 9 | 27 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .148 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1921 | PHA | AL | 24 | 71 | 14 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 5 | .282 | .286 (-2%) | .344 (+3%) | .395 (-4%) | .739 (-1%) | 1.5 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 281 | 916 | 124 | 232 | 17 | 14 | 2 | 63 | 15 | 58 | 100 | .253 | — | — | — | — | -457 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (280 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 141 | 426 | 60 | 111 | 1 | 26 | .261 |
| Away | 139 | 491 | 64 | 121 | 1 | 36 | .246 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921-09-27 | PHA | BOS | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1921-09-27 | PHA | BOS | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1921-09-24 | PHA | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1921-09-19 | PHA | SLA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-09-17 | PHA | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-09-16 | PHA | DET | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-09-15 | PHA | CLE | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-09-14 | PHA | CLE | L | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-09-13 | PHA | CLE | L | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-09-11 | PHA | MIN | L | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 32 |
| Center Field | 145 |
| Right Field | 72 |
Zip Collins: the record in brief
According to the bio, Zip Collins debuted on July 30, 1914 and played a final game on September 27, 1921. Club by club, the record runs the Pittsburgh Pirates (1914 through 1915), the Boston Braves (1915 to 1917), and the Philadelphia Athletics (1921). At 5 feet, 11 inches and 152 pounds, Collins is listed as an outfielder. Collins batted and threw left-handed, per the bio block. Collins was born on May 4, 1892, in Brooklyn, NY, USA. The bio records the death on December 19, 1983, in Manassas, VA, USA. On the record, Zip Collins was born John Edgar Collins.
Across 281 games at the plate, Collins's career line reads 232 hits in 916 at bats for a .253 average, plus 2 home runs and 63 RBI. Collins got on base at a .301 rate and slugged .309 (.610 OPS). Against a .258 league average for those years, Collins's .253 average was near the norm. The hits column peaks at 104, in 1915. Among the seasons with the heaviest workload, the best average was .294 in 1915, 17% above that year's league mark of .250.
Frequently Asked Questions about Zip Collins
- What years did Zip Collins play?
- Zip Collins played in Major League Baseball from 1914 to 1921.
- Was Zip Collins a pitcher?
- No. Zip Collins was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Zip Collins hit?
- Zip Collins hit 2 career home runs with 232 hits.
- What was Zip Collins's career batting average?
- Zip Collins batted .253 over his career, with 232 hits in 916 at bats.
- How many RBI did Zip Collins have?
- Zip Collins drove in 63 runs in his career.
- Is Zip Collins in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Zip Collins has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.