Frank Sullivan, baseball player, 1953-1963

Frank Sullivan

Born: 1/23/1930 in Hollywood, CA, USA

Died: 1/19/2016 in Lihue, HI, USA

MLB Debut: 1953-07-31 | Final Game: 1963-06-12

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'6" | Weight: 215 lbs

Full name: Franklin Leal Sullivan

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Biography

Frank Sullivan was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1953 to 1963. Born in 1930, Sullivan made his mark in Major League Baseball during an era characterized by both competitive pitching and offensive prowess. Over his ten-year career, he recorded a win-loss record of 97-100 and maintained a respectable earned run average (ERA) of 3.6. Known for his resilience on the mound, he struck out 959 batters and notched 18 saves, demonstrating his ability to close out games effectively. Sullivan earned recognition as an All-Star on two occasions, showcasing his talent among his peers during a time when the game was transitioning into a more modern era of baseball. His contributions were significant in an age where pitching staffs were becoming increasingly specialized, paving the way for future generations of pitchers who would follow in his footsteps. Despite finishing his career with a slightly below .500 record, his impact on the game and his status as a durable and skilled pitcher remain noteworthy in the annals of baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
97 100 351 219 73 15 18 1732.0 1702 692 148 559 959 3.60 0

Career ERA 3.60 vs. league average 3.89 across their career seasons — 7.5% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1953 BOS AL 1 1 14 0 0 0 0 25.7 24 16 11 17 5.61 4.14 (-36%) -33.1
1954 BOS AL 15 12 36 26 11 3 1 206.3 185 72 66 124 3.14 3.90 (+19%) 2803.4
1955 BOS AL 18 13 35 35 16 3 0 260.0 235 84 100 129 2.91 4.00 (+27%) 2030.9
1956 BOS AL 14 7 34 33 12 1 0 242.0 253 92 82 116 3.42 3.96 (+14%) 1631.9
1957 BOS AL 14 11 31 30 14 3 0 240.7 206 73 48 127 2.73 3.83 (+29%) 5583.1
1958 BOS AL 13 9 32 29 10 2 3 199.3 216 79 49 103 3.57 3.86 (+8%) 4436.1
1959 BOS AL 9 11 30 26 5 2 1 177.7 172 78 67 107 3.95 3.90 (-1%) 332.3
1960 BOS AL 6 16 40 22 4 0 1 153.7 164 87 52 98 5.10 3.82 (-33%) 1659.8
1961 PHI NL 3 16 49 18 1 1 6 159.3 161 76 55 114 4.29 4.03 (-7%) 836.9
1962 PHI NL 0 2 19 0 0 0 0 23.0 38 16 12 12 6.26 3.96 (-58%) -332.2
1962 MIN AL 4 1 21 0 0 0 5 33.3 33 12 13 10 3.24 3.96 (+18%) -337.2
1963 MIN AL 0 1 10 0 0 0 1 11.0 15 7 4 2 5.73 3.46 (-66%) -256.1

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
351 529 36 76 9 1 0 22 0 30 160 0.144 0.189 0.164 0.353 -3956.9

Career AVG .144 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — 44.1% below league average.

Career OBP .189 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 42.2% below league average.

Career SLG .164 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — 58.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.353 vs. league average 0.717 across their career seasons — 50.8% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1953 BOS AL 14 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1954 BOS AL 36 68 6 7 3 0 0 1 0 6 21 0.103 .261 (-61%) .333 (-48%) .390 (-62%) .723 (-56%) -666.2
1955 BOS AL 35 89 6 10 1 1 0 6 0 4 33 0.112 .258 (-57%) .332 (-55%) .393 (-63%) .726 (-59%) -911.7
1956 BOS AL 34 85 4 12 1 0 0 3 0 2 21 0.141 .258 (-45%) .331 (-52%) .397 (-62%) .728 (-57%) -844.7
1957 BOS AL 31 79 6 13 2 0 0 1 0 2 30 0.165 .257 (-36%) .323 (-43%) .391 (-51%) .715 (-48%) -629.0
1958 BOS AL 32 67 6 11 1 0 0 3 0 5 18 0.164 .257 (-36%) .324 (-32%) .394 (-55%) .719 (-44%) -489.1
1959 BOS AL 30 60 2 12 1 0 0 4 0 1 15 0.200 .256 (-22%) .323 (-35%) .392 (-45%) .715 (-40%) -416.2
1960 BOS AL 40 40 3 5 0 0 0 2 0 4 11 0.125 — — — — 0.0
1961 PHI NL 49 33 2 5 0 0 0 2 0 5 10 0.152 — — — — 0.0
1962 PHI NL 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1962 MIN AL 21 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1963 MIN AL 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 351 219 121 275 9 30

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1953 BOS P 14 0 4 2 0 0
1954 BOS P 36 26 12 36 2 5
1955 BOS P 35 35 22 41 1 5
1956 BOS P 34 33 16 37 1 5
1957 BOS P 31 30 17 48 1 5
1958 BOS P 32 29 13 26 0 5
1959 BOS P 30 26 15 20 2 4
1960 BOS P 40 22 6 17 0 1
1961 PHI P 49 18 10 34 2 0
1962 PHI P 19 0 2 5 0 0
1962 MIN P 21 0 4 5 0 0
1963 MIN P 10 0 0 4 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 351

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1955 Most Valuable Player AL 24th 1.0 336 0