Billy Sullivan

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1931-1947)

Billy Sullivan was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1931 to 1947 for 7 teams, including the Chicago White Sox, a span of 17 seasons. In 962 career games, he hit .289 with 820 hits, 29 home runs, and 388 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,229.

AVG (Batting Average):
Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
HR (Home Runs):
Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
RBI (Runs Batted In):
Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.

Data updated

AVG .289
HR 29
RBI 388
H 820
OPS .742
PIV 1,229
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
L / R
Height / Weight
6'0" / 170 lb
Born
10/23/1910 in Chicago, IL, USA
Died
1/4/1994 in Sarasota, FL, USA
MLB Debut
1931-06-09
Last Game
1947-09-03

Full name: William Joseph Sullivan

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Career Batting Statistics

Billy Sullivan — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
962 2,840 347 820 152 32 29 388 30 240 119 .289 .346 .395 .742 1,229

Career AVG .289 vs. league average .271 across their career seasons — +6.5% above league average.

Career OBP .346 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .395 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .742 vs. league average .723 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Billy Sullivan (b. 1910) Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1931 CHA AL 92 363 48 100 16 5 2 33 4 20 14 .275 .276 (avg) .338 (-7%) .388 (-6%) .726 (-7%) -425.6
1932 CHA AL 93 307 31 97 16 1 1 45 1 20 9 .316 .275 (+15%) .335 (+7%) .391 (-2%) .726 (+2%) 149.0
1933 CHA AL 54 125 9 24 0 1 0 13 0 10 5 .192 .270 (-29%) .329 (-24%) .377 (-45%) .707 (-35%) -665.7
1935 CIN NL 85 241 29 64 9 4 2 36 4 19 16 .266 .279 (-5%) .342 (-5%) .399 (-10%) .742 (-8%) -305.6
1936 CLE AL 93 319 39 112 32 6 2 48 5 16 9 .351 .283 (+24%) .349 (+9%) .404 (+26%) .753 (+18%) 987.0
1937 CLE AL 72 168 26 48 12 3 3 22 1 17 7 .286 .276 (+3%) .342 (+4%) .398 (+12%) .740 (+8%) 236.7
1938 SLA AL 111 375 35 104 16 1 7 49 8 20 10 .277 .272 (+2%) .341 (-8%) .392 (-3%) .734 (-5%) -356.7
1939 SLA AL 118 332 53 96 17 5 5 50 3 34 18 .289 .274 (+5%) .342 (+6%) .393 (+6%) .735 (+6%) 408.1
1940 DET AL 78 220 36 68 14 4 3 41 2 31 11 .309 .267 (+16%) .335 (+19%) .387 (+16%) .722 (+17%) 776.9
1941 DET AL 85 234 29 66 15 1 3 29 0 35 11 .282 .262 (+8%) .332 (+13%) .373 (+5%) .705 (+9%) 465.3
1942 BRO NL 43 101 11 27 2 1 1 14 1 12 6 .267 .253 (+6%) .323 (+7%) .349 (-4%) .672 (+1%) 45.0
1947 PIT NL 38 55 1 14 3 0 0 8 1 6 3 .255 .262 (-3%) .336 (-3%) .376 (-18%) .712 (-11%) -85.5
Career · 12 seasons 962 2,840 347 820 152 32 29 388 30 240 119 .289 — — — — 1,229

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

Billy Sullivan — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
5 13 3 2 0 0 0 0 5 2 .154

Playoff Batting by Year

Billy Sullivan — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1940 WS DET 5 13 3 2 0 0 0 0 5 2 .154

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (962 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Billy Sullivan — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home489139517841916205.300
Away473144516740113181.278

Last 10 Games — Batting

Billy Sullivan — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1947-09-03 PITCINL 101000000
1947-08-28 PITPHIL 100000000
1947-08-12 PITCINW 100000100
1947-08-10 PITSTLL 100000000
1947-08-04 PITCINL 100000000
1947-07-30 PITBSNL 100000000
1947-07-04 PITCINL 000000010
1947-06-24 PITBROL 100000001
1947-06-22 PITPHIL 100000000
1947-06-21 PITPHIL 100000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Billy Sullivan — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 133 0 1196 88 13 119
2B 6 0 15 17 4 1
3B 127 0 139 237 33 20
C 414 0 1845 216 59 37
OF 65 0 144 7 9 3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Billy Sullivan — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1931 CHA 1B 1 0 6 0 0 1
1931 CHA 3B 83 0 96 152 24 9
1931 CHA OF 2 0 2 0 0 0
1932 CHA 1B 52 0 485 35 5 42
1932 CHA 3B 17 0 14 30 6 4
1932 CHA C 5 0 12 1 2 0
1932 CHA OF 3 0 3 0 2 0
1933 CHA 1B 22 0 211 12 4 22
1933 CHA C 8 0 21 3 4 0
1935 CIN 1B 40 0 350 31 3 35
1935 CIN 2B 6 0 15 17 4 1
1935 CIN 3B 15 0 18 30 1 5
1936 CLE 1B 3 0 25 3 0 4
1936 CLE 3B 5 0 6 9 0 1
1936 CLE C 72 0 324 40 12 8
1936 CLE OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1937 CLE 1B 5 0 52 1 0 3
1937 CLE 3B 1 0 1 2 0 0
1937 CLE C 38 0 146 20 9 1
1938 SLA 1B 6 0 43 4 0 7
1938 SLA C 99 0 441 65 5 10
1939 SLA 1B 4 0 24 2 1 5
1939 SLA C 19 0 88 8 4 4
1939 SLA OF 59 0 139 7 7 3
1940 DET 3B 6 0 4 14 2 1
1940 DET C 57 0 292 29 8 4
1941 DET C 63 0 339 33 9 7
1942 BRO C 41 0 140 13 6 2
1947 PIT C 12 0 42 4 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Billy Sullivan (b. 1910) Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Catcher 415
First Base 132
Second Base 6
Third Base 127
Left Field 32
Right Field 34

College History

Billy Sullivan — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
University of Notre Dame South Bend IN 1930, 1931
University of Portland Portland OR 1928

Award Voting History

Billy Sullivan — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1932 Most Valuable Player AL 24th 3.0 80 0

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Billy Sullivan (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Harry Danning
    .285 avg, 57 HR
  2. 97
    Jack Meyers
    .291 avg, 14 HR
  3. 93
    Glenn Myatt
    .270 avg, 38 HR
  4. 92
    Shanty Hogan
    .295 avg, 61 HR
  5. 86
    Don Padgett
    .288 avg, 37 HR
  6. 86
    Frankie Pytlak
    .282 avg, 7 HR

Billy Sullivan: the record in brief

According to the bio, Billy Sullivan debuted on June 9, 1931 and played a final game on September 3, 1947. The season rows list, in order, the Chicago White Sox (1931 to 1933), the Cincinnati Reds (1935), the Cleveland Indians (1936 to 1937), the St. Louis Browns (1938 to 1939), the Detroit Tigers (1940 to 1941), the Brooklyn Dodgers (1942), and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1947). Sullivan is listed as a catcher at 6-foot-0 and 170 pounds. Sullivan threw right-handed and batted left-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is October 23, 1910, in Chicago, IL, USA. The bio records the death on January 4, 1994, in Sarasota, FL, USA. The given name on file is William Joseph Sullivan.

In 962 games and 2,840 at bats, Sullivan batted .289 with 820 hits, adding 29 home runs, 388 RBI, and 30 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .346 and the slugging percentage .395, for an OPS of .742.

Frequently Asked Questions about Billy Sullivan

What years did Billy Sullivan play?
Billy Sullivan played in Major League Baseball from 1931 to 1947.
Was Billy Sullivan a pitcher?
No. Billy Sullivan was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Billy Sullivan hit?
Billy Sullivan hit 29 career home runs with 820 hits.
What was Billy Sullivan's career batting average?
Billy Sullivan batted .289 over his career, with 820 hits in 2,840 at bats.
How many RBI did Billy Sullivan have?
Billy Sullivan drove in 388 runs in his career.
Is Billy Sullivan in the Hall of Fame?
No. Billy Sullivan has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.