After graduating from St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, he went to work for the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad and played baseball in the Buffalo City League.

[2] Collins began his major league career as a right fielder, playing ten games at the position with the Beaneaters in 1895.

He accepted the job, which came with a salary of $5,500, a $3,500 signing bonus, and a cut of the team's profits, despite efforts by Beaneaters owner Arthur Soden to keep him.

"[4] Collins recruited other National League stars for the Americans' roster, including Cy Young,[4] and in his first season as player-manager guided the team to a second-place finish, four games behind the Chicago White Sox.

With an agreement in place for the champions of the American and National Leagues to meet in a best-of-nine "World Series", Boston represented the Junior Circuit.

However, the Americans would not get the opportunity to defend their title, as John McGraw and the New York Giants refused to play them in the postseason.

In 1906, Collins found himself in hot water, as not only were the Americans in last, but he himself was suspended twice, and was eventually replaced as manager by Chick Stahl.

For reasons that have never become clear, Stahl had committed suicide during spring training;[7] instead of Collins, the Americans turned to Cy Young as manager, following by George Huff, and then Bob Unglaub, all within the first three months of the season.

After playing 41 games with the Americans, Collins was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics in June for infielder John Knight.

[4] Boston-based Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys recorded the song "Jimmy Collins' Wake" on their 2013 album Signed and Sealed in Blood.

The song, originally written by Richard Johnson, recounts Collins' wake in Buffalo, New York, at what is currently K.O.