WSC Vintage: Billy Sullivan Jr.

Card #24 - Billy Sullivan Jr.

Billy is a second generation White Sox player. His father, Billy Sullivan played with the Sox on their 1906 World Championship team and played for parts of thirteen seasons on the Southside. His son, Billy Jr., played only three seasons with the White Sox, but made enough of an impression on Charles Comiskey that numerous letters were sent to persuade Sullivan to continue his career with the White Sox.

Initially, Billy resisted following in his father's footsteps as a catcher. Long after he left the White Sox, Sullivan relented and spent the latter half of his career at the backstop. While with the Pale Hose, Billy mostly played third and first base. On a rare occasion, he would play in the outfield. In 1933, when manager Lew Fonseca tried to turn him into a full time catcher, Billy concentrated on his law degree at Notre Dame.

In February 1934, he was transferred to the Milwaukee Brewers, a AA team at that time. In October 1934, Billy returned an unsigned contract to the White Sox and by November 1934, his contract was traded to the Indianapolis club. He wound up playing for the Reds in 1935 and continued a sporadic career until 1947, mostly catching. Despite the contract situation with the White Sox, Sullivan and the ChiSox kept up a friendly banter well into the sixties.