The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-05-01
Eddie Collins, 28 on Sunday, Once Looked
 Like a ''Lemon "

Birthday congratulations are due to- morrow to MT. Edward Froworidge Collins, alias Eddie Sullivan, but bet ter known under the monicker of Ed die Collins. Fhe young man who com manded what was declared by the publicity-hating magnates to be the highest price ever paid for a ball play CT, when the Athletics turned him over to the White SozE last December was born in Mil1erton, N. Y.y May 9, 1887, and hence is on the verge of his twen- ty-eighth milestone.
 Edward Trowbridge, of the tribe of Collins, was destined for an honorable career as a barrister, but destiny slip ped 8 cog when his family sent him to New York to sop up an education He first eased himself into the base ball limelight as member of a Harry town prep school nine, where he pitched and played various other posi- tions. Then he went to Columbia University, where he made the mine as a freshly, and was elected captain for his senior year
 In the Summer months young Col lins added somewhat to his purse by playing ball with clubs in Plattsburg, N- Y., Rockville, Conn, and other cen ters of population. Having due re- gard for his amateur standing, he called himself Eddie Sullivan on these little incursions into professionalism. It was his work with the Rockville club which attracted the eagle eye of Connie Mack. Incidentally, the chron- iclers say that Collins applied for a job with lawn MeGraW, but that lawn, after giving him the once-over,. turned him down. This is a pretty story, especially since McGraW has publicly declared that Eddie is the most valu- able player in captivity, and the only flaw in it is that it isn't true-ff VFa take EGdie's and lawns word for 1t, In the Summer of 1906 Eddie had a conference with Connie Mack, and agreed to accompany the Athletics on their western trip. Donning an Ath- Ietic uniform and the patronynic of Eddie Sullivan, he fared forth. He ap- peared in six games that year. and some of the Chicago papers thought we'll enough of him to print his Bic- ture. Eddie was scheduled to captain 1 the Columbia nine the next year, but the newspaper photographs Of SuIIi- van were called to the attention of the university faculty, and Eddie was caIl- 1 ed on to the carpet. He refused to l reply to the questions as to whether Eddie Collins and Eddie Sullivan were 1 one and the same, on the ground that
 he might incrinninate himself That l sealed his doom as a college player l Collins finished his college course with the students at hand. again joined l the following season, and, leaving the | law school to get along as best it could i W1Cn SCuQSnLS at hanG agSIn Joined l the Athletics. The slight, boyish ra-a- rah Tod did not make any very pro
 nounced impression on Connie Mack, and there were times when the Ath- let4C pilot looked upon Eddie as only 1 another '1emon." As a shOrtstop he
 was somethin' fierce, and in the out
 field he was far from being a marvel. | But the boy could hit, and that saved 1 him. Finally Danny Murphy was sent to the outer garden and Eddie was
 given a chance to display his wares l at. second base.
 When Connie lamped his college find going through the evolutions appro-
 priate to covering second base, the
 McGiIIicuddy eye lighted up with sat
 isfaction, as one who has found a
 pearl in an oyster.
 ''Th@ts where Collins belongs,
 Quoth Connie. ''In a year or three hen
 be the greatest second bagger in Enu
 business
 | \ Rfght-os. And then some.