Rip Collins

Who was Rip Collins?

Harry Warren Collins was an American Major League Baseball player whose career as a starting pitcher for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns lasted eleven years. Collins batted and threw right-handed.

A Texas native, Collins was born in the small city of Weatherford, a longtime seat of Parker County. Attending Texas A&M University, Collins was a four-sport star, chiefly known for his ability as a football punter. He was on the team when the heavily favored Longhorns took the field against the Aggies in 1915. Collins punted the ball twenty-three times that afternoon for an average of fifty-five yards per kick, that resulted in thirteen fumbles by Longhorns’ return men. One fumble set up the only touchdown scored that day, a run by Collins. The final score was 13–0.

In 1919, Collins became a starting pitcher for Double-A Dallas Rangers of the Texas League. A year later, he joined the New York Yankees.

Collins was a 14-game winner three times during his majors career, in his 1920 rookie season with the Yankees, for the Boston Red Sox in 1922, and with the Detroit Tigers in 1924.