Evening star., 1909-05-30
CANT|LLON FOUND
NEW S0X MANAGER
Leader of Washington Amer
leans Discovered Bill SuIIi-
van in Wisconsin WiIds.

Billy Sullivan. manager OF the White
Sox. was first brought into prominence
by Joe Cantillon. manager of the Nation
ais in 1897. Up to that time Sullivan was
unheard OF except in his own part of
Wisconsin, but in that year Cantllon
signed the youngster Tor the Dubuque
club. of which Joe was then manager
Sullivan is native of Wisconsin, and
his earthly career began in the town OF
Oakland in that state. February 1. 1875.
His family moved to Fort Atkinson and
while attending the high school tilers
Sully started his development as dia-
mond star as a member OF the school
nine.
His desire was to shine as an infielder,
and he played snortstop until an accident
left his team without a catcher one day.
Without any previous experience, Su.ii
van was put In to catch, and found it vas
his natural position.
Start Was Good.
His work behind the bat for that High
school team attracted the attention of
the local town teams manager. and he
was made its regular catcher. Afterwar rd
he caught for the independent team in
Edgewater, Wis. and then Joined Cantil-
Ions club.
Cantillon. by the way, nearly robbed
the game of great player. In one of the
rirst professional games he played Sulli
van made mistake which was costly,
and after the game Cantillon called the
young man down in his characteristic
manner.
That night Sullivan had his grip all
packed and was on his way to the sta
ton to go back to the woods before Can
tillon found it out, just In time to over
take the player and tell him he didn't
mean anything, but that it was all part
OF the game.
Stay Was Short.
Cantillon did not keep Sullivan long, for
in the following year Gs9s) ne was drafted
TO the Columbus club Of the then Western
League, and when that franchise was
transferred to Grand Rapids Sullivan went
along with it, AT the close of the follow
ing year Sullivan was sold to the Boston
club of the National League.
He caught a few games there in the
fall OF 1850. and was with that team dur
ing 1860 When the war broke out be-
tween the National and American leagues,
in 15u1. Sullivan was one of the first men
Comiskey went after. He not only en-
gagged his services, but won his loyalty,
and all offers, however tempting. were
turned down during the war perion.
Since 1901 Sullivan has been one OF the
hardest, most faithful workers Co
fDlSkey mas ndu, anu iue management OIL
the team which he has helped SO mate
rally to keep always in the fight lis
part Of his reward. The rest of it is the
confidence he has won from players and
public.
Record for Active Service.
Since he became White Stocking Sui
livan has made record for active setyice
which has been greater than that Of some
of the regulars in other positions. Ex-
cept for the year 1908, when Sully was al
tackled by appendicitis. and operated on
in the early part OF the season, he has
caught In more than half the games and
in the last five years has caught in a
great many more than his share, his best
record being made last year, when he did
the backstopping in 137 of the L06 games
the SoX played.
Since he became major Lacquer Sulli-
van has caught total of S53 gaines, and
in the last five seasons he has caught 565
games, an average of more than 100 a sea-
son. When he became a member of the
Boston Nationals. in the fall of 1899. he
caught twenty-five games before the sea-
sons finish. His record since then fol-
lows: