Billy Sullivan (baseball)
| Billy Sullivan | |||
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Billy Sullivan of the Chicago White Sox in 1909
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| Catcher / Manager | |||
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Born: February 1, 1875 Oakland, Jefferson County, Wisconsin |
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Died: January 28, 1965 (aged 89) Newberg, Oregon |
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| MLB debut | |||
| September 13, 1899, for the Boston Beaneaters | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| April 15, 1916, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .213 | ||
| Home runs | 21 | ||
| Runs batted in | 378 | ||
| Managerial record | 78–74 | ||
| Winning % | .513 | ||
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As player As manager |
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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As player
As manager
William Joseph Sullivan, Sr. (February 1, 1875 – January 28, 1965) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for 16 seasons, most notably for the Chicago White Sox. Although he was a relatively weak hitter, he was considered one of the best defensive catchers of his era.
Sullivan's reputation as a defensive standout is enhanced because of the era in which he played. In the Deadball Era, catchers played a huge defensive role, given the large number of bunts and stolen base attempts, as well as the difficulty of handling the spitball pitchers who dominated pitching staffs. He had to catch every type of pitch imaginable, such as shine balls, spitballs, knuckleballs, and emory balls.
William Joseph Sullivan was born on February 1, 1875 in the town of Oakland, Wisconsin, to Irish immigrant farmers. He attended Fort Atkinson High School, where he played mainly as an infielder until their regular catcher couldn't play due to an injury. Sullivan substituted and excelled; so much so that he began being scouted by a local amateur team.
After his graduation from High School, Sullivan played for an independent team located in Edgewater, Wisconsin. He played on his first professional team in 1896 for the Cedar Rapids Bunnies of the Western Association, a Class-B minor league. He stayed in the Western Association for the 1897 season, playing for the Dubuque, Iowa representative. In 124 games played that season, he batted just .216, but did hit seven home runs and stole 27 bases.
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