league average during his playing career. Sullivan also led American League catchers twice in baserunners caught stealing and caught stealing percentage, and once in assists. His 952 baserunners caught stealing ranks him 11th on the all-time list for major league catchers. Sullivan also ranks 11th overall among major league catchers in shutouts caught during his career. He was also durable, leading league catchers in games played three times, while consistently within the top three most of his career. Later life After his retirement from baseball, the Jefferson County, Wisconsin, native retired in Newberg, Oregon, where he farmed twenty acres of land and became the president of a local fruit growers' association. Upon the occasion of his induction into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1956, Sullivan was presented with a plaque at the Milwaukee County Stadium. He died of a heart ailment on January 28, 1965, at the age of 89. Although news reports at the time of Sullivan's death credited him as the inventor of the catcher's chest protector, this was disputed by author Peter Morris in his book, Catcher, in which he states that catchers first began using chest protectors during the 1880s. Sullivan did however, receive a United States patent in 1908 for an inflatable, contoured chest protector, which protected his body better and, thanks to hinging, allowed more freedom of movement than the normal model. His son, Billy Sullivan, Jr., also became a major league catcher. When Billy Sullivan Jr. caught for the Detroit Tigers in the 1940 World Series, the Sullivans became the first father and son to have played in the World Series. See also List of Major League Baseball player–managers References External links Bio at BaseballLibrary.com 1875 births 1965 deaths People from Oakland, Jefferson County, Wisconsin People from Newberg, Oregon 19th-century baseball players Boston Beaneaters players Chicago White Sox players Detroit Tigers players Major League Baseball catchers Baseball players from Wisconsin American people of Irish descent Chicago White Sox managers Major League Baseball player-managers Cedar Rapids Bunnies players Columbus Buckeyes (minor league) players Columbus Senators players Grand Rapids Furnituremakers players Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players