Chub Sullivan

American baseball player (1856–1881)
Baseball player
Chub Sullivan
First baseman
Born: (1856-01-12)January 12, 1856
Boston, Massachusetts
Died: September 12, 1881(1881-09-12) (aged 25)
Boston, Massachusetts
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 24, 1877, for the Cincinnati Reds
Last MLB appearance
July 17, 1880, for the Worcester Worcesters
MLB statistics
Batting average.258
Runs scored55
Runs batted in24
Teams
  • Cincinnati Reds (1877–1878)
  • Worcester Worcesters (1880)
Career highlights and awards
  • Led the National League in games played, assists, and fielding percentage in 1878

John Frank "Chub" Sullivan (January 12, 1856 – September 12, 1881) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman who played for three seasons: two with the Cincinnati Reds (1877–1878) and one with the Worcester Worcesters (1880).[1] He was nicknamed "Chub", but was 6 feet tall and weighed a mere 164 pounds.[1] During his career, he was a popular player, sometimes known as a clown for his antics, and an early pioneer of the slide.[2]

Career

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Sullivan, as a 21-year-old rookie in 1877, was the tenth-youngest player to appear in a National League game during that season,[3] replacing Charlie Gould at first base.[4] Joining the team late in the season, he played in only eight games, and batted .250.[1] He stayed on with the Reds for the 1878 season, leading the league in games played, assists by a first baseman, and fielding percentage (.975).[1] A tough hitter to strike out, Chub also finished seventh in at bat to strikeout ratio (27.1 to 1).[3]

Sullivan joined the Worcester minor league club for the 1879 season,[2] and the team did very well in a championship tournament following the season, and decided to apply as a replacement team in the National League, when the Syracuse Stars folded following the 1879 season. The team was accepted, and joined the League for the 1880 season.[5] Sullivan played in 43 games, the last season of his career, batted .259, and is credited with zero RBIs.[1] Sullivan's career totals include 112 games played, 114 hits, 55 runs scored, 24 RBIs, and a batting average of .258.[1]

Post-career

Sullivan became ill before the next season began, and eventually died on September 12 in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts at the age of 25[1] of consumption, later known as tuberculosis.[6] His Worcester teammates wore a black crêpe on their jersey sleeves in his memory, for the 1881 season.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Chub Sullivan's Stats". retrosheet.org. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
  2. ^ a b Foulds (2005). Boston's Ballparks & Arenas. University Press of New England. p. 146. ISBN 9781584654094.
  3. ^ a b "Chub Sullivan's Stats". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
  4. ^ Allen (2006). The Cincinnati Reds. p. 17.
  5. ^ Foulds (2005). Boston's Ballparks & Arenas. University Press of New England. p. 150. ISBN 9781584654094.
  6. ^ "The Dead Ball Era: Too Young To Die". thedeadballera.com. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
  7. ^ "Dressed To The Nines: Patches and Armbands". baseballhalloffame.org. Archived from the original on 2008-03-24. Retrieved 2008-05-24.

External links

  • Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)