Billy Sullivan (baseball)

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Billy Sullivan (baseball) bigraphy, stories - Major League Baseball player

Billy Sullivan (baseball) : biography

February 1, 1875 – January 28, 1965

William Joseph Sullivan, Sr. (February 1, 1875 – January 28, 1965) was an American professional baseball player. 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 stand out 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.

Major-league career

Sullivan made his major league debut with the Beaneaters on September 13, at the age of 24, and became their regular catcher, appearing in 22 games the rest of season. On September 27, against the Washington Senators, he hit his first major league home run; a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning off of Bill Magee. In , Sullivan hit 8 home runs, the fifth highest total in the National League.

Sullivan then joined the Chicago White Sox of the American League in . He played as catcher in the American League’s first game as a major league, an 8-2 Chicago victory over Cleveland on April 24, 1901. He helped guide the White Sox pitching staff to the lowest team earned run average in the league as they went on to win the American League championship. Sullivan’s pitch-calling skills were evident in as the White Sox led the league with 26 shutouts. He caught for two twenty-game winning pitchers in , with Nick Altrock winning 23 games and Frank Owen winning 21 games. Frank Smith added 19 wins and Doc White provided another 17 victories as the White Sox once again led the league in earned run average. The team battled the Philadelphia Athletics in a tight pennant race and were tied for first place with 11 games left in the season before faltering to finish the season in second place.

Sullivan was a member of the White Sox team that became known as the Hitless Wonders when they won the American League pennant despite posting the lowest team batting average in the league. The team had been in fourth place by the end of July, 7½ games behind the defending champion Athletics, when they went on a 19-game winning streak that drove them into first place. No American League team would surpass the 19-game winning streak for almost 100 years until the 2002 Oakland Athletics won 20 consecutive games.Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p. 377, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, NY, ISBN 978-0-451-22363-0 The team made up for their lack of hitting prowess by leading the league in walks, hit batsmen and sacrifice hits. Sullivan tied for the team lead in home runs with two. He led American League catchers in baserunners caught stealing, finished second in putouts and assists and guided the White Sox pitching staff to a league-leading 32 shutouts and the second lowest earned run average in the league. The White Sox then defeated their cross-town rivals, the heavily-favored Chicago Cubs in the 1906 World Series.

In , Sullivan caught for three twenty-game winning pitchers, as Doc White won 27 games, Ed Walsh won 24 games and Frank Smith won 23 games. The White Sox once again led the league in earned run average, however, they fell to third in the season standings. Sullivan’s catching credentials were embellished by his association with future Baseball Hall of Fame member, Walsh, who would win 40 games in , as the White Sox once again led the league in shutouts. The White Sox were in contention until losing the final game of the season to the eventual American League champions, the Detroit Tigers. He served as a player-manager for the White Sox in , guiding the team to a fourth place finish. The following season, Hugh Duffy took over as manager and Sullivan returned to catching.