Sleeper Sullivan
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1881-1884)
Sleeper Sullivan was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1881 to 1884 for 4 teams, including the Buffalo Bisons, a span of 4 seasons. In 96 career games, he hit .184 with 63 hits and 15 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
- 5'7" / 175 lb
- Born
- 1859 in Ireland
- Died
- 10/13/1909 in St. Louis, MO, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1881-05-03
- Last Game
- 1884-05-29
Full name: Thomas Jefferson Sullivan
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96 | 342 | 39 | 63 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 21 | .184 | .194 | .228 | .422 | -1,322 |
Career AVG .184 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — 26.1% below league average.
Career OBP .194 vs. league average .281 across their career seasons — 31.2% below league average.
Career SLG .228 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — 31.6% below league average.
Career OPS .422 vs. league average .615 across their career seasons — 31.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881 | BFN | NL | 35 | 121 | 13 | 23 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 21 | .190 | .260 (-27%) | .290 (-32%) | .338 (-34%) | .628 (-33%) | -555.6 |
| 1882 | SL4 | AA | 51 | 188 | 24 | 34 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .181 | .248 (-27%) | .275 (-30%) | .329 (-31%) | .605 (-30%) | -766.1 |
| 1883 | SL4 | AA | 8 | 27 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .222 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1883 | LS2 | AA | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1884 | SLU | UA | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 96 | 342 | 39 | 63 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 21 | .184 | — | — | — | — | -1,322 | ||
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 Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 90 |
| Center Field | 3 |
| Right Field | 5 |
Sleeper Sullivan: the record in brief
May 3, 1881 and May 29, 1884 bracket Sleeper Sullivan's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Club by club, the record runs the Buffalo Bisons (1881), the St. Louis Brown Stockings (1882), the St. Louis Browns (1883), the Louisville Eclipse (1883), and the St. Louis Maroons (1884). Sullivan, a catcher by primary position, threw and hit right-handed. Height and weight on file: 5-foot-7 and 175 pounds. The birth record reads in 1859, in Ireland. Sullivan died on October 13, 1909, in St. Louis, MO, USA. The bio lists the given name Thomas Jefferson.
The batting record for Sullivan: 96 games, 63 hits in 342 at bats, and a .184 average, adding 15 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .194 clip and slugging .228, Sullivan finished with a .422 OPS. Measured against the leagues Sullivan played in, the .184 career average compares with a .249 league average over the same seasons, 26.1% below the league. By OPS the gap is 31.4% below league average (.422 against .615). Sullivan collected a career-high 34 hits in 1882.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sleeper Sullivan
- What years did Sleeper Sullivan play?
- Sleeper Sullivan played in Major League Baseball from 1881 to 1884.
- Was Sleeper Sullivan a pitcher?
- No. Sleeper Sullivan was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Sleeper Sullivan hit?
- Sleeper Sullivan hit 0 career home runs with 63 hits.
- What teams did Sleeper Sullivan play for?
- Sleeper Sullivan played for 4 teams: the Buffalo Bisons (1881), the St. Louis Browns (1882–1883), the Louisville Eclipse (1883), and the St. Louis Maroons (1884).
- What were Sleeper Sullivan's career stats?
- In 96 games, Sleeper Sullivan had 63 hits, 15 RBI, and 39 runs, with a .184 batting average.
- What position did Sleeper Sullivan play?
- Sleeper Sullivan played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Sleeper Sullivan and how much did he weigh?
- Sleeper Sullivan was listed at 5 feet 7 inches and 175 pounds.
- What was Sleeper Sullivan's career batting average?
- Sleeper Sullivan batted .184 over his career, with 63 hits in 342 at bats.
- How many RBI did Sleeper Sullivan have?
- Sleeper Sullivan drove in 15 runs in his career.
- Is Sleeper Sullivan in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Sleeper Sullivan has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.