El Paso Herald · El Paso, Texas · 1913

How Great Men Play the Game: Eddie Collins

Scar takes up Eddie Collins of the Athletics in July 1913: he plays on his toes so the play on either side comes equally easy, he is one of the fastest men in professional base ball, and did you ever notice those eagle eyes trying to get a line on the enemy's signals?

Scar’s subject this time is “Eddie Collins, Phila. Athletics,” second baseman of the infield Connie Mack was collecting like glassware, and the panel is mostly a study in readiness. “By playing on his toes and swinging his arms wide he makes the play on either side equally easy,” runs the fielding note, over a drawing of Collins coiled low with his glove hanging loose.

At the plate the mechanics are compact: “he holds the bat firm with his arms almost straight and hits the ball with a short jerky movement.” And everywhere else on the diagram he is simply moving fast. “Collins is one of the fastest men in professional base ball,” the caption reports. “He puts the jump in every play,” drawn at a full sprint with his cap threatening to leave.

The corner box saves the best scouting for last. “And did you ever notice? Those eagle eyes of his trying to get a line on the enemy’s signals,” with a close-up of Collins peering out from under his cap, dotted sight-lines radiating toward whatever the other side hoped was private. Collins spent that summer hitting .345 for the eventual world champions, so whatever the eagle eyes found, it worked.