Tom Sullivan
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1884-1889)
Tom Sullivan was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1889 for the Columbus Buckeyes, the Louisville Colonels, and the Kansas City Cowboys, a span of 6 seasons. Across 47 career appearances, he went 14-33 with a 4.04 ERA and 147 strikeouts.
- 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
- Position
- Pitcher
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 165 lb
- Died
- 4/12/1947 in Cincinnati, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1884-09-27
- Last Game
- 1889-06-23
Full name: Thomas Sullivan
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | CL5 | AA | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 31.0 | 42 | 14 | 3 | 12 | 4.06 | 3.11 (-31%) | -403.3 |
| 1886 | LS2 | AA | 2 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 75.0 | 94 | 33 | 33 | 27 | 3.96 | 3.37 (-17%) | -2720.8 |
| 1888 | KC2 | AA | 8 | 16 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 214.2 | 227 | 81 | 68 | 84 | 3.40 | 2.95 (-15%) | -1407.2 |
| 1889 | KC2 | AA | 2 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 87.1 | 111 | 55 | 48 | 24 | 5.67 | 3.93 (-44%) | -1551.2 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 14 | 33 | 47 | 47 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 408.0 | 474 | 183 | 152 | 147 | 4.04 | — | -6,082 | ||
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
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 163 | 20 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 19 | 42 | .117 | .217 | .129 | .346 | -598 |
Career AVG .117 vs. league average .248 across their career seasons — 52.9% below league average.
Career OBP .217 vs. league average .300 across their career seasons — 27.5% below league average.
Career SLG .129 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — 61.4% below league average.
Career OPS .346 vs. league average .633 across their career seasons — 45.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | CL5 | AA | 4 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .091 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1886 | LS2 | AA | 9 | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .111 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1888 | KC2 | AA | 28 | 92 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 34 | .109 | .238 (-54%) | .290 (-35%) | .319 (-63%) | .610 (-50%) | -598.2 |
| 1889 | KC2 | AA | 10 | 33 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 8 | .152 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 51 | 163 | 20 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 19 | 42 | .117 | — | — | — | — | -598 | ||
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 |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 47 |
| Left Field | 4 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Tom Sullivan (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Tom Sullivan: the record in brief
The profile opens with Tom Sullivan's first major league game on September 27, 1884; the last one listed came on June 23, 1889. Sullivan played for the Columbus Buckeyes (1884), the Louisville Colonels (1886), and the Kansas City Cowboys (1888 to 1889). At 5'10" and 165 pounds, Sullivan is listed as a pitcher. The recorded birth is March 1, 1860, in New York, NY, USA. The bio records the death on April 12, 1947, in Cincinnati, OH, USA. Tom Sullivan was the playing name; the full given name is Thomas.
The pitching table credits Sullivan with a 14-33 record and a 4.04 ERA in 47 games. Sullivan had 147 strikeouts and 46 complete games. The league ERA over Sullivan's seasons was 3.32, so the 4.04 figure ran 21.7% worse than average. No season topped the 8 wins of 1888. 1888 was Sullivan's sharpest full season, a 3.40 ERA against the league's 2.95.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tom Sullivan
- What years did Tom Sullivan play?
- Tom Sullivan played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1889.
- Was Tom Sullivan a pitcher?
- Yes. Tom Sullivan pitched in the major leagues, recording 14 wins and 147 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Tom Sullivan hit?
- Tom Sullivan hit 0 career home runs with 19 hits.
- What teams did Tom Sullivan play for?
- Tom Sullivan played for 3 teams: the Columbus Buckeyes (1884), the Louisville Colonels (1886), and the Kansas City Cowboys (1888–1889).
- What were Tom Sullivan's career stats?
- In 47 games, Tom Sullivan went 14-33 with a 4.04 ERA, 147 strikeouts, and 408.0 innings pitched.
- What position did Tom Sullivan play?
- Tom Sullivan played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Tom Sullivan and how much did he weigh?
- Tom Sullivan was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 165 pounds.
- What was Tom Sullivan's career ERA?
- Tom Sullivan finished with a 4.04 career ERA, going 14-33 with 147 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Tom Sullivan have?
- Tom Sullivan recorded 147 career strikeouts.
- Is Tom Sullivan in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Tom Sullivan has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.