Kevin Collins

Kevin Michael Collins (August 4, 1946 – February 20, 2016) was an American Major League Baseball infielder with the New York Mets, Montreal Expos and Detroit Tigers. 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.

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. He began his professional career in 1964 with the Florida Mets, the Mets Rookie League minor league baseball team. He played in 44 games that season, getting 118 at bats and posting a batting average of .220. In all, Collins played 119 games for Jacksonville in 1967, getting 420 at-bats and 3 home runs, with a batting average of .248, a slugging percentage of .321 and an on-base percentage of .289.

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 Tidewater was on May 4. Collins appeared in 52 games for the Expos in 1969, split between second base and third base. He batted .240 in 96 at-bats. He declined the opportunity to remain with the Indians as a coach or scout. After retirement, he worked in the automotive supply business, losing part of his right foot in a warehouse accident in 1993.

He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and died in Naples, Florida.