Billy Sullivan (baseball)
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.
Read more about Billy Sullivan (baseball): Early Life, Major-league Career, Career Statistics, Later Life
Famous quotes containing the words billy and/or sullivan:
““How old is she, Billy boy, Billy boy?
How old is she, charming Billy?”
Past six, past seven,
Past twenty and eleven,
She’s a young thing, and cannot leave her mother.””
—Unknown. Billy Boy (l. 21–25)
“I have thought about it a great deal, and the more I think, the more certain I am that obedience is the gateway through which knowledge, yes, and love, too, enter the mind of the child.”
—Anne Sullivan (1866–1936)