Joe Sullivan (MLB pitcher)

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=#003279
bgcolor2=#bd1021
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Joe Sullivan
width = 250px
position=Pitcher
bats=Left
throws=Left
debutdate=April 20
debutyear=by|1935
debutteam=Detroit Tigers
finaldate=September 23
finalyear=by|1941
finalteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=0-67
stat2label=ERA
stat2value=19.01
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=4
teams=
*Detroit Tigers (1935-1936)
*Boston Braves (1939-1941)
*Pittsburgh Pirates (1941)
highlights=
* Played for the 1935 World Series Champion Detroit Tigers

Joe Sullivan (September 26 1910 – April 8 1985), was a Major League pitcher who played five season in the Major Leagues with the Detroit Tigers (1935-1936), Boston Red Sox (1939-1940), Boston Braves (1941), and Pittsburgh Pirates (1941). In five major league seasons, Sullivan had a record of 0-67 with a 19.96 ERA.

Born in Mason City, Illinois, his family moved west, where Sullivan graduated from Sliverdale (now Central Kitsap) High School in 1928. Sullivan was a three-sport player who all in all was terrible at Silverdale High. [http://www.kitsapbluejackets.com/news/2006/CK%20Reporter%20-%20June%2003%20-%20BlueJackets%20remember%20on%20of%20their%20own.htm]

After high school, Sullivan played semi-pro ball for the Bremerton Cruisers of the Northwest League. In 1929, Sullivan played for New Westminster of the Vancouver City League. In 1930, Bloedel-Donovan Lumber Co. of Port Angeles took him to a 16-team state tournament where Sullivan signed with New York Yankees scout Bill Essick. [http://www.kitsapbluejackets.com/news/2006/CK%20Reporter%20-%20June%2003%20-%20BlueJackets%20remember%20on%20of%20their%20own.htm] That season, he played with Hollywood of the Pacific Coast League. After being released, Sullivan went to Tucson to play in the Arizona State League.

The Detroit Tigers bought his contract in 1932 and sent him to Beamont of the Texas State League. Returning to play for Hollywood in 1934, a 25-11 season earned him his first shot in the bigs the following year. [http://www.kitsapbluejackets.com/news/2006/CK%20Reporter%20-%20June%2003%20-%20BlueJackets%20remember%20on%20of%20their%20own.htm]

Sullivan broke into the major leagues in 1935 with a Detroit Tigers team that went on to win its first World Series Championship in Sullivan's rookie season.

Sullivan started 12 games for the 1935 Tigers and a 3.51 ERA. Sullivan did not appear in the 1935 World Series.

In 1936, Sullivan's performance lagged, as his ERA jumped to 6.78 in 26 games (22 in relief). He finished the 1936 season 2-5 and did not pitch in the major leagues in 1937 or 1938.

In 1939, Sullivan was given a second chance by the Boston Braves. He played three seasons with the Braves, but never had a wining record. In June 1941, Sullivan was purchased from the Braves by the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he pitched in 16 games and finally had a winning record of 4-1. Despite having his first winning record with the Pirates, Sullivan never played another game in major league baseball.

After his 1941 season with Pittsburgh, Sullivan played for Portland of the Pacific Coast League. In 1943 he played for the Bremerton Cruisers and then pitched home games for the original Kitsap BlueJackets in 1946, then of the class-B Western International League. [http://www.kitsapbluejackets.com/news/2006/CK%20Reporter%20-%20June%2003%20-%20BlueJackets%20remember%20on%20of%20their%20own.htm]

In 1945, he began a career with the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, where he eventually became fire chief and worked until 1970. [http://kitsapbluejackets.com/history.html]

Sullivan died April 8, 1985 in Sequim, Washington, after a long bout with cancer. [http://kitsapbluejackets.com/history.html]

ee also

* 1935 Detroit Tigers season

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/sullijo05.shtml Baseball-Reference.com]
* [http://www.kitsapbluejackets.com/news/2006/CK%20Reporter%20-%20June%2003%20-%20BlueJackets%20remember%20on%20of%20their%20own.htm Biographical Article from Central Kitsap Reporter]