Billy Sullivan (baseball) - Major-league Career

Major-league Career

Sullivan made his major league debut with the Beaneaters on September 13, 1899 at the age of 24, and became their regular catcher, appearing 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 1901, 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 1901. 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 1904 as the White Sox led the league with 26 shutouts. He caught for two twenty-game winning pitchers in 1905, 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 1906 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. 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 1907, 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 1908, 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 1909, guiding the team to a fourth place finish. The following season, Hugh Duffy took over as manager and Sullivan returned to catching.

Sullivan was the White Sox catcher on July 1, 1910, when the team inaugurated their new stadium, Comiskey Park, named after the team owner, Charles Comiskey. On August 24, 1910, Sullivan caught three baseballs thrown by Ed Walsh from a window at the top of the Washington Monument as a publicity stunt, matching the feat by Washington catcher Gabby Street two years earlier. By 1912, the 37-year old Sullivan's performance began to decline as future Hall of Fame member, Ray Schalk, emerged as his successor. He spent the 1913 and 1914 seasons as a coach, tutoring Schalk before being given his unconditional release on February 15, 1915.

Sullivan returned to the minor leagues in 1915, playing one season for the Minneapolis Millers, helping them win the American Association pennant. He rejoined the major leagues in 1916, appearing in one game with the Detroit Tigers, before retiring as a player at the age of 41.

While Sullivan was not a very good hitter, it was his performance as a fielder that garnered him high praise from his peers. Ty Cobb, Hall of Fame outfielder of the Detroit Tigers and former all-time major league leader in stolen bases, once described him as the hardest catcher on which to attempt a steal.