John Sullivan
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1905-1908)
John Sullivan was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1905 to 1908 for the Detroit Tigers and the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 4 seasons. In 14 career games, he hit .152 with 5 hits and 4 RBI.
- 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
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 170 lb
- Died
- 6/5/1924 in St. Paul, MN, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1905-04-19
- Last Game
- 1908-09-05
Full name: John Eugene Sullivan
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 33 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | .152 | .243 | .152 | .395 | 0 |
Career AVG .152 vs. league average .244 across their career seasons — 38.0% below league average.
Career OBP .243 vs. league average .303 across their career seasons — 19.7% below league average.
Career SLG .152 vs. league average .315 across their career seasons — 51.8% below league average.
Career OPS .395 vs. league average .617 across their career seasons — 36.1% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1905 | DET | AL | 13 | 32 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | .156 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1908 | PIT | NL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 14 | 33 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | .152 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
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.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (14 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 11 | 24 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | .167 |
| Away | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .111 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908-09-05 | PIT | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1905-05-24 | DET | NYY | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1905-05-19 | DET | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-05-18 | DET | MIN | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-05-15 | DET | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1905-05-12 | DET | BOS | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-05-03 | DET | SLA | W | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-05-02 | DET | SLA | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-04-30 | DET | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-04-28 | DET | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 14 |
John Sullivan: the record in brief
John Sullivan's major league career runs from a debut on April 19, 1905 to a final game on September 5, 1908. Sullivan played for the Detroit Tigers (1905) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1908). Listed as a catcher, Sullivan threw and hit right-handed. Height and weight on file: 5'10" and 170 pounds. Sullivan was born on February 16, 1873, in Chicago, IL, USA. The bio records the death on June 5, 1924, in St. Paul, MN, USA. The bio lists the given name John Eugene.
Across 14 games at the plate, Sullivan's career line reads 5 hits in 33 at bats for a .152 average, adding 4 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .243 and the slugging percentage .152, for an OPS of .395. The league as a whole hit .244 across Sullivan's seasons, which puts the .152 career mark 38.0% below average. By OPS the gap is 36.1% below league average (.395 against .617). Sullivan collected a career-high 5 hits in 1905.
Every defensive appearance on record for Sullivan, 14 games, came at catcher. The fielding table credits Sullivan with 59 putouts, 24 assists and 3 errors behind the plate.
Frequently Asked Questions about John Sullivan
- What years did John Sullivan play?
- John Sullivan played in Major League Baseball from 1905 to 1908.
- Was John Sullivan a pitcher?
- No. John Sullivan was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did John Sullivan hit?
- John Sullivan hit 0 career home runs with 5 hits.
- What was John Sullivan's career batting average?
- John Sullivan batted .152 over his career, with 5 hits in 33 at bats.
- How many RBI did John Sullivan have?
- John Sullivan drove in 4 runs in his career.
- Is John Sullivan in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John Sullivan has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.