Mickey Sullivan facts for kids
Sullivan in 1993
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 6, 1932 Aransas Pass, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | March 22, 2012 (aged 80) Waco, Texas, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1952–1954 | Baylor |
| Position(s) | Outfielder |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1974–1994 | Baylor |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 649–428–3 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| SWC Tournament (1977, 1978, 1993) | |
| Awards | |
| All-SWC (1952, 1953, 1954) All-American (1953, 1954) SWC Coach of the Year (1977, 1978, 1985, 1988, 1991) |
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Mickey Sullivan (born February 6, 1932 – died March 22, 2012) was a famous American baseball coach and player. He is best known for being the head baseball coach at Baylor for many years, from 1974 to 1994. He helped the Baylor baseball team achieve great success.
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Mickey Sullivan's Early Life
Mickey Sullivan was born in Aransas Pass, Texas, on February 6, 1932. His parents were Alva and Effie Sullivan.
Mickey grew up in Houston, Texas. He went to Sam Houston High School and graduated in 1950. In his senior year, Mickey was a star running back for his high school football team. He led the city in rushing yards and points scored. Because of his amazing skills, he was named to the 1949 Houston Chronicle All-City Team.
Many universities wanted Mickey to play football for them. He received offers from big schools like the University of Texas and Texas A&M University. In the end, he chose to accept a scholarship to play football at Baylor University.
Mickey Sullivan's Playing Career
Mickey Sullivan was a talented athlete who played both football and baseball in college and professionally.
College Sports at Baylor
When Mickey started at Baylor in 1950, he played on the freshman football team. The next year, he joined the main Baylor Bears football team as a running back. That team was very strong, led by an All-American quarterback named Larry Isbell. The Bears played in the famous Orange Bowl and finished the season ranked #9 in the country. Mickey earned a "letter" (a special award for college athletes) three times during his football career at Baylor.
Mickey was also an outstanding baseball player. He was recognized as an All-Southwest Conference player in 1952, 1953, and 1954. He was even named an All-American outfielder in both 1953 and 1954. In his final year, Mickey hit an incredible .519 batting average, which was a record for the Southwest Conference.
Playing Baseball Professionally
After his second year at Baylor, Mickey had a chance to play professional baseball. The Washington Senators offered him a contract to play in their minor league system. However, Mickey decided to finish his college education at Baylor first.
After graduating from Baylor, Mickey signed with the Dallas Eagles, a minor league team. He played for different minor league teams from 1954 to 1957. He spent time with the Artesia Numexers and the Sioux City Soos. He also played for the Dallas Eagles for a few seasons before he decided to retire from playing baseball.
Mickey Sullivan's Coaching Career
After his playing days, Mickey Sullivan became a highly respected coach.
Early Coaching Roles
Mickey started his coaching journey as a football coach at a middle school in Houston. Later, he became an assistant coach for football, baseball, and basketball at Bellaire High School. He then moved to Westbury High School, where he was an assistant football coach and the head baseball coach. Eventually, he returned to Bellaire High School as the head football coach. Mickey also worked as a scout for the Philadelphia Phillies, where he helped find talented players like the legendary Nolan Ryan.
In 1969, Mickey returned to Baylor University to coach the freshman football team. In 1972, he was promoted to recruiting coordinator, a job where he helped bring new players to Baylor. He held this position until 1978.
Leading the Baylor Baseball Team
In 1974, Mickey Sullivan became the 17th head coach for the Baylor Bears baseball team. He held this important role for 21 seasons, until 1994. During his time as head coach, the team had only three losing seasons, which shows how successful he was.
Mickey led Baylor to win three Southwest Conference tournament championships. He also guided the team to the College World Series two years in a row, in 1977 and 1978. The College World Series is the championship tournament for college baseball. Baylor also made it to the NCAA tournament in 1991 and 1993 under his leadership.
Many of Mickey's players went on to play professional baseball. Thirty-one players he coached were chosen in the Major League Baseball Draft. Four of these players were even picked in the first round, which is a huge honor. These included Jon Perlman (1979), Stan Hilton (1983), Pat Combs (1988), and Scott Ruffcorn (1991).
Ten of his players eventually played in Major League Baseball (MLB), the highest level of professional baseball. Some of these players were Steve Macko, Lee Tunnell, and Ken Patterson. Mickey Sullivan's coaching made a big impact on their careers.
On April 17, 2012, another Baylor coach, Steve Smith, broke Mickey Sullivan's record of 649 career victories. Mickey had held the record for the most wins by any coach in Baylor's sports history.
Mickey Sullivan's Personal Life
In 1959, Mickey Sullivan married his wife, Marilyn. They had two children, a son named Vince and a daughter named Tina.
Mickey Sullivan passed away on March 22, 2012, at the age of 80. He had been battling cancer for a long time. His memorial service was held at Baylor Ballpark, the home stadium for the Baylor baseball team.
