Mike Sullivan

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1889-1899)

Mike Sullivan was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1889 to 1899 for 8 teams, including the Washington Nationals, a span of 11 seasons. Across 160 career appearances, he went 54-65 with a 5.04 ERA and 285 strikeouts. He also batted .196 with 2 home runs.

W (Wins):
Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
ERA (Earned Run Average):
Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
SO (Strikeouts):
For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.

Data updated

W–L 54–65
ERA 5.04
WHIP 1.67
SO 285
Pitcher PIV -16337.9
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
L / R
Height / Weight
6'1" / 210 lb
Born
10/23/1870 in Boston, MA, USA
Died
6/15/1906 in Boston, MA, USA
MLB Debut
1889-06-17
Last Game
1899-08-18

Full name: Michael Joseph Sullivan

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Career Pitching Statistics

Mike Sullivan — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
54 65 160 119 99 1 4 1111.1 1,292 622 45 568 285 5.04 -16337.9

Career ERA 5.04 vs. league average 4.12 across their career seasons — 22.4% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Mike Sullivan (b. 1870) Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1889 WS8 NL 0 3 9 3 3 0 0 41.0 47 33 32 15 7.24 3.93 (-84%) -1574.9
1890 CHN NL 5 6 12 12 10 0 0 96.0 108 49 58 33 4.59 3.88 (-18%) -1653.5
1891 PH4 AA 0 2 2 2 2 0 0 18.0 17 7 10 7 3.50 3.52 (+1%) -826.0
1891 NY1 NL 1 2 3 3 3 0 0 24.0 24 9 8 11 3.38 3.52 (+4%) 476.3
1892 CIN NL 12 4 21 16 15 0 0 166.1 179 57 74 56 3.08 3.28 (+6%) -2492.7
1893 CIN NL 8 11 27 18 14 0 1 183.2 200 103 103 40 5.05 4.66 (-8%) -2119.8
1894 WAS NL 2 10 20 12 11 0 1 117.2 166 86 74 21 6.58 5.33 (-23%) -3903.8
1894 CL4 NL 6 5 13 11 9 0 0 90.2 128 64 47 19 6.35 5.33 (-19%) -674.0
1895 CL4 NL 1 2 4 3 2 0 0 31.0 42 29 16 5 8.42 4.77 (-76%) -426.8
1896 NY1 NL 10 13 25 22 18 0 0 185.1 188 96 71 42 4.66 4.36 (-7%) -237.0
1897 NY1 NL 8 7 23 16 11 1 2 148.2 183 84 71 35 5.09 4.30 (-18%) -2905.7
1899 BSN NL 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 9.0 10 5 4 1 5.00 3.85 (-30%) 0.0
Career · 12 seasons 54 65 160 119 99 1 4 1,111.1 1,292 622 568 285 5.04 — -16,338

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.

Career Batting Statistics

Mike Sullivan — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
160 491 46 96 9 3 2 48 3 13 92 .196 .221 .238 .459 -2,075

Career AVG .196 vs. league average .274 across their career seasons — 28.8% below league average.

Career OBP .221 vs. league average .345 across their career seasons — 35.9% below league average.

Career SLG .238 vs. league average .370 across their career seasons — 35.6% below league average.

Career OPS .459 vs. league average .715 across their career seasons — 35.7% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Mike Sullivan (b. 1870) 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
1889 WS8 NL 9 19 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 .053 — — — — 0.0
1890 CHN NL 12 40 1 5 1 0 0 7 0 2 12 .125 — — — — 0.0
1891 PH4 AA 2 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 .000 — — — — 0.0
1891 NY1 NL 3 10 3 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .200 — — — — 0.0
1892 CIN NL 21 74 5 13 1 1 0 5 0 0 17 .176 .244 (-28%) .316 (-41%) .327 (-34%) .644 (-37%) -420.3
1893 CIN NL 27 79 7 16 2 0 1 7 2 2 9 .203 .279 (-28%) .356 (-38%) .379 (-30%) .735 (-34%) -451.1
1894 WAS NL 20 57 4 9 1 1 1 7 0 2 11 .158 .309 (-49%) .379 (-51%) .435 (-40%) .814 (-45%) -472.7
1894 CL4 NL 13 44 6 13 1 1 0 8 0 2 9 .295 — — — — -472.7
1895 CL4 NL 4 15 2 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 .133 — — — — 0.0
1896 NY1 NL 25 77 10 16 1 0 0 5 0 1 14 .208 .290 (-28%) .354 (-36%) .387 (-43%) .741 (-40%) -498.6
1897 NY1 NL 23 66 6 18 1 0 0 8 0 2 10 .273 .291 (-7%) .354 (-17%) .387 (-26%) .741 (-21%) -231.8
1899 BSN NL 1 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .333 — — — — 0.0
Career · 12 seasons 160 491 46 96 9 3 2 48 3 13 92 .196 — — — — -2,547

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

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

Batting — Home / Away

Mike Sullivan — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home130100.333

Pitching — Home / Away

Mike Sullivan — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home19.0105415.00

Last 1 Games — Batting

Mike Sullivan — Last 1 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1899-08-18 BSNLS3W 301000010

Last 1 Games — Pitching

Mike Sullivan — Last 1 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1899-08-18 BSNLS3 W 9.01065411

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Mike Sullivan — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
P 160 0 48 226 42 11

Season-by-Season Fielding

Mike Sullivan — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1889 WS8 P 9 0 3 7 4 0
1890 CHN P 12 0 8 16 2 2
1891 PH4 P 2 0 0 3 1 0
1891 NY1 P 3 0 1 5 1 0
1892 CIN P 21 0 3 31 6 1
1893 CIN P 27 0 11 40 10 4
1894 WAS OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1894 WAS P 20 0 5 21 4 0
1894 CL4 P 13 0 3 14 1 0
1895 CL4 P 4 0 1 5 1 0
1896 NY1 P 25 0 8 45 6 2
1897 NY1 P 23 0 4 39 6 2
1899 BSN P 1 0 1 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Mike Sullivan (b. 1870) Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 160
Right Field 1

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

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

  1. 98
    Elon Hogsett
    63-87, 5.02 ERA
  2. 97
    Roxie Lawson
    47-39, 5.37 ERA
  3. 97
    Bill Magee
    29-51, 4.94 ERA
  4. 96
    Willie McGill
    71-73, 4.57 ERA
  5. 96
    Dad Clarkson
    39-39, 4.90 ERA
  6. 95
    Les German
    34-63, 5.45 ERA

Mike Sullivan: the record in brief

According to the bio, Mike Sullivan debuted on June 17, 1889 and played a final game on August 18, 1899. By club, Sullivan's seasons break down as the Washington Nationals (1889), the Chicago Colts (1890), the Philadelphia Athletics (1891), the New York Giants (1891 to 1897), the Cincinnati Reds (1892 through 1893), the Washington Senators (1894), the Cleveland Spiders (1894 to 1895), and the Boston Beaneaters (1899). Listed as a pitcher, Sullivan batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Sullivan is listed at 6 feet, 1 inch and 210 pounds. The birth record reads October 23, 1870, in Boston, MA, USA. Sullivan's death is recorded on June 15, 1906, in Boston, MA, USA. The given name on file is Michael Joseph Sullivan.

Sullivan's career pitching line is 54 wins, 65 losses and a 5.04 ERA over 160 appearances. The totals include 285 strikeouts and 99 complete games. Against a 4.12 league ERA for the same seasons, the 5.04 mark was 22.4% worse. 1892 brought Sullivan a season-high 12 wins.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mike Sullivan

What years did Mike Sullivan play?
Mike Sullivan played in Major League Baseball from 1889 to 1899.
Was Mike Sullivan a pitcher?
Yes. Mike Sullivan pitched in the major leagues, recording 54 wins and 285 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Mike Sullivan hit?
Mike Sullivan hit 2 career home runs with 96 hits.
What was Mike Sullivan's career batting average?
Mike Sullivan batted .196 over his career, with 96 hits in 491 at bats.
How many RBI did Mike Sullivan have?
Mike Sullivan drove in 48 runs in his career.
What was Mike Sullivan's career ERA?
Mike Sullivan finished with a 5.04 career ERA, going 54-65 with 285 strikeouts.