John Sullivan
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1963-1968)
John Sullivan was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1968 for the Detroit Tigers, the New York Mets, and the Philadelphia Phillies, a span of 6 seasons. In 116 career games, he hit .228 with 59 hits, 2 home runs, and 18 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
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 195 lb
- Died
- 6/1/2023 in Wayland, NY, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1963-09-20
- Last Game
- 1968-08-07
Full name: John Peter Sullivan
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 116 | 259 | 9 | 59 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 19 | 45 | .228 | .282 | .270 | .552 | -514 |
Career AVG .228 vs. league average .244 across their career seasons — 6.8% below league average.
Career OBP .282 vs. league average .308 across their career seasons — 8.3% below league average.
Career SLG .270 vs. league average .364 across their career seasons — 25.7% below league average.
Career OPS .552 vs. league average .671 across their career seasons — 17.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | DET | AL | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1964 | DET | AL | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1965 | DET | AL | 34 | 86 | 5 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 13 | .267 | .245 (+9%) | .310 (+9%) | .371 (-9%) | .682 (-1%) | 22.6 |
| 1967 | NYN | NL | 65 | 147 | 4 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 26 | .218 | .242 (-10%) | .306 (-19%) | .357 (-30%) | .663 (-25%) | -536.4 |
| 1968 | PHI | NL | 12 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .222 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 116 | 259 | 9 | 59 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 19 | 45 | .228 | — | — | — | — | -514 | ||
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 (116 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 55 | 117 | 3 | 28 | 0 | 5 | .239 |
| Away | 61 | 142 | 6 | 31 | 2 | 13 | .218 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-08-07 | PHI | SFG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968-08-02 | PHI | HOU | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1968-07-31 | PHI | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968-07-30 | PHI | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968-07-29 | PHI | CIN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968-07-26 | PHI | ATL | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968-07-20 | PHI | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1968-07-19 | PHI | CIN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1968-07-17 | PHI | CHC | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1968-07-17 | PHI | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 97 |
John Sullivan: the record in brief
John Sullivan's major league career runs from a debut on September 20, 1963 to a final game on August 7, 1968. The season rows list, in order, the Detroit Tigers (1963 through 1965), the New York Mets (1967), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1968). Listed as a catcher, Sullivan threw right-handed and batted left-handed. Sullivan is listed at 6'0" and 195 pounds. Sullivan was born on January 3, 1941, in Somerville, NJ, USA. Sullivan's death is recorded on June 1, 2023, in Wayland, NY, USA. The given name on file is John Peter Sullivan.
The batting record for Sullivan: 116 games, 59 hits in 259 at bats, and a .228 average, adding 2 homers and 18 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .282 and the slugging percentage .270, for an OPS of .552. The league as a whole hit .244 across Sullivan's seasons, which puts the .228 career mark 6.8% below average. In OPS terms, Sullivan's .552 stands 17.7% below the league's .671. The hits column peaks at 32, in 1967. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .218 in 1967, did not top the league's .242.
Frequently Asked Questions about John Sullivan
- What years did John Sullivan play?
- John Sullivan played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1968.
- Was John Sullivan a pitcher?
- No. John Sullivan was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did John Sullivan hit?
- John Sullivan hit 2 career home runs with 59 hits.
- What was John Sullivan's career batting average?
- John Sullivan batted .228 over his career, with 59 hits in 259 at bats.
- How many RBI did John Sullivan have?
- John Sullivan drove in 18 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.