Marty Sullivan
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1887-1891)
Marty Sullivan was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1887 to 1891 for 4 teams, including the Chicago Cubs, a span of 5 seasons. In 398 career games, he hit .273 with 441 hits, 26 home runs, and 220 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 2,471.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Died
- 1/6/1894 in Lowell, MA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1887-04-30
- Last Game
- 1891-08-17
Full name: Martin C. Sullivan
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 398 | 1,618 | 280 | 441 | 56 | 32 | 26 | 220 | 99 | 162 | 168 | .273 | .341 | .395 | .736 | 2,471 |
Career AVG .273 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — +5.8% above league average.
Career OBP .341 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .395 vs. league average .349 across their career seasons — +13.1% above league average.
Career OPS .736 vs. league average .676 across their career seasons — +9.0% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | CHN | NL | 115 | 472 | 98 | 134 | 13 | 16 | 7 | 77 | 35 | 36 | 53 | .284 | .270 (+5%) | .331 (+2%) | .373 (+13%) | .705 (+8%) | 664.9 |
| 1888 | CHN | NL | 75 | 314 | 40 | 74 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 39 | 9 | 15 | 32 | .236 | .238 (-1%) | .290 (-6%) | .319 (+19%) | .610 (+7%) | 213.5 |
| 1889 | IN3 | NL | 69 | 256 | 45 | 73 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 15 | 50 | 31 | .285 | .263 (+8%) | .334 (+21%) | .357 (+11%) | .691 (+16%) | 917.1 |
| 1890 | BSN | NL | 121 | 505 | 82 | 144 | 19 | 7 | 6 | 61 | 33 | 56 | 48 | .285 | .260 (+10%) | .336 (+6%) | .351 (+10%) | .687 (+8%) | 769.3 |
| 1891 | BSN | NL | 17 | 67 | 15 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 3 | .224 | .254 (-12%) | .331 (-13%) | .343 (-4%) | .675 (-9%) | -93.8 |
| 1891 | CL4 | NL | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 | — | — | — | — | -93.8 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 398 | 1,618 | 280 | 441 | 56 | 32 | 26 | 220 | 99 | 162 | 168 | .273 | — | — | — | — | 2,377 | ||
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.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | CHN | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7.71 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7.71 | — | 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.
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 5 | 0 | 58 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 392 | 0 | 701 | 46 | 75 | 12 |
| P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | CHN | OF | 115 | 0 | 189 | 10 | 36 | 0 |
| 1887 | CHN | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1888 | CHN | OF | 75 | 0 | 114 | 13 | 10 | 7 |
| 1889 | IN3 | 1B | 5 | 0 | 58 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 1889 | IN3 | OF | 64 | 0 | 133 | 9 | 14 | 4 |
| 1890 | BSN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1890 | BSN | OF | 120 | 0 | 241 | 13 | 13 | 1 |
| 1891 | BSN | OF | 17 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1891 | CL4 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 1 |
| First Base | 5 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 322 |
| Center Field | 67 |
| Right Field | 3 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Marty Sullivan (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Marty Sullivan: the record in brief
Between the debut on April 30, 1887 and the final game on August 17, 1891, Marty Sullivan built the record summarized on this page. Sullivan played for the Chicago White Stockings (1887 through 1888), the Indianapolis Hoosiers (1889), the Boston Beaneaters (1890 through 1891), and the Cleveland Spiders (1891). Sullivan played primarily as an outfielder and threw and hit right-handed. Sullivan was born on October 20, 1862, in Lowell, MA, USA. Sullivan died on January 6, 1894, in Lowell, MA, USA. Sullivan's full given name, per the bio, is Martin C. Sullivan.
Sullivan collected 441 hits in 1,618 at bats across 398 games, good for a .273 batting average; the totals also include 26 home runs, 220 RBI, and 99 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .341 clip and slugging .395, Sullivan finished with a .736 OPS. Sullivan's .273 average ran 5.8% above the .258 that the league posted over the same seasons. In OPS terms, Sullivan's .736 stands 9.0% above the league's .676.
Frequently Asked Questions about Marty Sullivan
- What years did Marty Sullivan play?
- Marty Sullivan played in Major League Baseball from 1887 to 1891.
- Was Marty Sullivan a pitcher?
- No. Marty Sullivan was a position player (Outfielder), though he did pitch in 1 career game.
- How many home runs did Marty Sullivan hit?
- Marty Sullivan hit 26 career home runs with 441 hits.
- What was Marty Sullivan's career batting average?
- Marty Sullivan batted .273 over his career, with 441 hits in 1,618 at bats.
- How many RBI did Marty Sullivan have?
- Marty Sullivan drove in 220 runs in his career.
- What was Marty Sullivan's career ERA?
- Marty Sullivan finished with a 7.71 career ERA, going 0-0 with 1 strikeouts.