University of Vermont Athletics

Ray Collins 1909 - Baseball, Basketball

A standout hurler who also played basketball at the University of Vermont, Ray Collins, inducted into the UVM Hall of Fame in 1969, went directly to the Boston Red Sox after graduating in 1909. Born Feb. 11, 1887 in Colchester, Vt., Collins played ball for Burlington High School and after only one year at UVM, professional scouts were already approaching him. He remained at UVM and enjoyed a standout four-year collegiate career as UVM went 29-18 over his last two seasons. As a freshman in 1906, he made his home debut on April 17 in UVM's first baseball game at Centennial Field going the distance in a 10-4 win over Maine.

He joined UVM classmate and teammate Larry Gardner with the Red Sox in 1910. During his seven-year tenure with the Red Sox, he won 86 games and lost 52 with a 2.51 ERA along with 19 career shutouts. As of September, 2010, Collins ranks sixth in Red Sox history in ERA (2.51) and is tied for seventh in shutouts. He also averaged 16 wins from 1910-14, including a combined 39 victories in 1913-14. The key to Collins' major league success was his remarkable control. Collins consistently ranked among the American League leaders in fewest walks allowed per nine innings, finishing third in the league in 1912 (1.90), second in 1913 (1.35) and fourth in 1914 (1.85). He ranks fourth all-time in Red Sox history allowing just 1.81 walks per nine innings.

Collins became a regular in Boston's rotation in 1910. In his first full season he pitched a one-hitter against Chicago and compiled a 13-11 record making him the second-winningest pitcher on the Red Sox. His sparkling 1.62 ERA was sixth in the AL and ties for the third best in Red Sox history. He was 3-6 at one point in 1911 but turned his season around, finishing at 11-12 with a 2.40 ERA. He went 13-8 in 1912 helping Boston to the American League pennant and the World Championship. He starred for the Red Sox in the 1912 World Series matching the great Christy Mathewson of the New York Giants pitch-for-pitch in a game that was finally called because of darkness with a tie score.

The lefthander went 19-8 in 1913 and his .714 winning percentage was second in the league. He won 20 games in 1914 (20-13) finishing third in the AL in victories and was fourth in shutouts with six. He also pitched for the Red Sox in 1915 when they also won another World Championship.

Collins retired from the big leagues at age 28 and he returned to UVM as the baseball coach in 1923 for three seasons. He returned to run the Collins Family Farm in Colchester. He remained active in the Colchester community serving many roles in the town government as well as several terms in the Vermont House of Representatives. During the 1950s, Collins served on the UVM Board of Trustees presiding over the school's transition from private to public university.
Collins and Gardner are linked together on campus in the indoor track/cage portion of Gutterson Fieldhouse which is named the Gardner-Collins Cage in honor of the two stars.

Sports Illustrated selected Collins as one of the Top 50 Vermont athletes of the 20th Century. The magazine's editors composed a list of the "Top 50 Athletes" in each state in its December 27, 1999 issue to commemorate the millennium. Collins ranked 11th among the Top 50 Vermonters.

After a long and fruitful life, Collins passed away in Burlington on Jan. 9, 1970.