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joined Chihuahua (Mexican League) in 1978 and batted .350. Over the next decade, he played for six different Mexican League franchises, never falling below .302. His .438 mark in 1979 set a since-broken league record. He won another batting title with a .412 mark in 1984. (MC)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » September 3rd, 1896: Boston hammers St. Louis with 30 hits in a 28-7 win in the first game of a twin bill. Billy Hamilton, Fred Tenney, and Jimmy Collins each have 5 hits, while Hugh Duffy's 4 hits include 2 HRs. » May 11th, 1898: With the bases full and one out, Oriole RF Tommy O'Brien muffs Bobby Lowe's short fly, recovers the ball, runs in, tags Jimmy Collins at 2B, and steps on the bag to force Chick Stahl and complete an unassisted DP. » September 29th, 1898: Jimmy Collins hits 2 HRs, one a grand slam, giving Boston an 11-10 win. His league-leading HR total is 15 for the season. » July 15th, 1899: Jimmy Collins of Boston, in the bottom of the 11th with Herman Long on base, hits the ball over the fence to win the game 1-0 against Jesse Tannehill of Pittsburgh. Collins gets credit for a double. » March 2nd, 1901: Jimmy Collins, Connie Mack's choice for the all-time best 3B, leaves the Boston NL club to manage the AL's new Boston Somersets. The Beaneaters also lose OF Hugh Duffy, who will manage Milwaukee (AL), and C Billy Sullivan, who signs with the Chicago White Stockings. » October 10th, 1903: Three days rest are apparently too much for Phillippe, who gives up first-inning triples to Boston's Jimmy Collins and Chick Stahl for a 2-0 lead. Cy Young wins 7-3. » November 11th, 1903: Jimmy Collins signs a contract to manage the Pilgrims for 3 years. They will be called the Pilgrims, then the Red Sox during his tenure. » March 28th, 1907: Popular Boston Pilgrims OF Chick Stahl, who replaced Jimmy Collins as manager of the now named Red Sox at the end of the 1906 season, commits suicide at spring training in West Baden Springs, IN. After breakfast he returned to his room and drank 4 oz. of carbolic acid. He left a note: "Boys, I just couldn't help it. You drove me to it." Cy Young starts the season as Boston's manager, but there will be 3 others during the year. » April 25th, 1945: Baseball writers cannot seem to get any Hall of Fame candidates past the 75 percent requirement, but a committee selected to bring in some old-timers succeeds with a group of turn-of-the-century names: Jimmy Collins, Roger Bresnahan, Fred Clarke, Dan Brouthers, Ed Delahanty, Hugh Jennings, Mike Kelley, Jim O'Rourke, Wilbert Robinson, and Hugh Duffy.