Billy Sullivan (1900s catcher)

Billy Sullivan
Billy Sullivan of the Chicago White Sox in 1909
Catcher / Manager
Born: (1875-02-01)February 1, 1875
Oakland, Jefferson County, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died: January 28, 1965(1965-01-28) (aged 89)
Newberg, Oregon, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
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 runs21
Runs batted in378
Managerial record78–74
Winning %.513
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams
As player

As manager

Career highlights and awards

William Joseph Sullivan, Sr. (February 1, 1875 – January 28, 1965) was an American professional baseball player and manager.[1] He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball, most notably as a member of the Chicago White Sox with whom he won a World Series championship in 1906. Although he was a relatively weak hitter, he sustained a sixteen-year playing career by being one of the best defensive catchers of his era.[2][3][4]

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.[5] He had to catch every type of pitch imaginable, such as shine balls, spitballs, knuckleballs, and emery balls.[5]

  1. ^ "Billy Sullivan statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
  2. ^ Strecker, Trey. "Billy Sullivan Sr". sabr.org. Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  3. ^ "Billy Sullivan, Whom the Fans Declare to be the Ablest Catcher". Beaver County Times. July 29, 1911. p. 5. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
  4. ^ "Moral In Swift Rise Of Catcher Billy Sullivan". Painesville Telegraph. June 3, 1936. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
  5. ^ a b Vass, George (May 2005). "For Catchers, The Name of the Game is Defense". Baseball Digest. Retrieved August 23, 2010.[permanent dead link‍]