Kevin Sullivan, a 1996 graduate of Pacelli High School, recently completed his first season in the Philadelphia Phillies minor league system.
After being drafted by the Phillies in the 32nd round of the Major League Baseball June amateur draft, Sullivan reported to the organization's spring training facility in Clearwater, Fla. He spent extra time there rehabbing a quadriceps injury that he suffered while playing for Carthage College.
Sullivan, a catcher, joined the Batavia (N.Y) Muckdogs of the Class A Short-Season New York-Penn League. While with the Muckdogs, he had a tough start at the plate, batting 0-for-20. He then had a hot streak, which helped him earn a promotion to the Class A Piedmont (N.C.) Boll Weevils. In 11 games with the first-place Boll Weevils, he collected a .324 batting average.
Sullivan sat down with Gazette Sports Editor Mike Kemmeter recently to talk about his first season in the Philadelphia Phillies minor league organization.
Q: How is catching different at each level you've played at? Was it tougher to call the games behind the plate as you moved up?
A: "As you get up higher and higher they try to teach you more and more stuff about what you see in a batter and what you see in a pitcher and what are the pitcher's best pitches and stuff like that. In the New York-Penn League, you just go out there and call your pitches and get the job done. They start installing a little more in your head, as far as how to pitch guys, and what pitches to do in what count, and whatnot.
"As you move up to Double A, Triple A and eventually the majors, it becomes homework. You have to study and everything like that. But they slowly, gradually push you into it and I can see the development and how it becomes a mental game."
Q: Throughout high school and college, you were used to playing every game. Was it hard splitting time with other catchers and did you know what days you would be in the lineup?
A: "When I came up to Batavia, I knew I'd be splitting time with two other catchers. And the one guy was hurt, so it was me and another guy. I would catch two days in a row, then off one or two days, then catch another day, and then off one, and another day and then off one.
"It was hard to adjust to that, to accept it was probably the hardest thing. I didn't let it bother me at all because I knew you have to take hard knocks early on in your career to get where you want to go, especially as a catcher.
"But when I got moved up to Piedmont, their catcher Russ Jacobson had gotten hurt, and they only planned on having me there for three weeks. And (Manager Greg Legg) basically told me that I'd catch probably two games a week and then they'd put me back at Batavia so I could catch more. Well, I ended up catching and hitting in my games, in my opportunities, and I played so well that they actually played me more than the backup catcher and he was upset about that.
"But I was playing well, and you know you have to win, that's how it is. I actually pretty much outplayed him and then they ended up keeping me there the rest of the year and into the playoffs, which is a big thing to happen in my career, especially in my first year.
Q: Carthage College, although it is a small school, has been consistently ranked among the nation's top teams in Division 3. What kind of backgrounds did your teammates come from?
A: "Russ Jacobson, he's their No. 1 catcher, he signed last year to a big $500,000 contract and all that. He's from the University of Miami, and they won the national title. And that guy walks around with his ring and that's pretty neat to be on a team with a guy like that. Then our centerfielder, Jeremy Sitzman, played at Arizona State, and they lost to USC in the national title game two years ago or something like that. And then there's Marlon Byrd, he's a stud, he's a very good baseball player, he's from Georgia Tech. And then there were some kids from high school, it's pretty neat to see the guys from different schools and play with them.
"You see all these guys on TV playing college baseball at these big schools and you have a guy like me from Carthage. And I always knew I could play at those schools, I just had it really good at Carthage, and I didn't want to ever leave there. I knew I would play every day."
Q: Do you feel playing at the Division 3 level and at a small high school helped or hurt you?
A: "I think that it helped me. The main reason is I came in as a freshman and I played right away. I played four years of college baseball and you can't take that away from me. That's experience that other guys really don't get. You have these guys like Russ Jacobson, he's a big draft pick, but he only played two years at Miami.
"A lot of guys, they go to these big schools and they usually have to wait their freshman and sophomore year, unless you're just an unbelievable player. And if you're unbelievable, you usually go in the draft. To get that experience, I know it's helped me, especially this year, just dealing with the game. Because the game, it's a tough game."
Q: You've been playing baseball most of your life, from Little League through high school, college and now the pros. Who has helped you most along the way to become the player you are today?
A: "It's been a mixture of everything. I can remember (Bob) 'Ma' Pesch back when I was growing up, playing Little League baseball and he was our coach and we went to all of these tournaments. Then to high school, with Chris Haka. I take things Don Soderberg has taught me in basketball and football that you can apply to everything. Chris Haka was probably one of the guys, because that's when it really started becoming competitive, really competitive, at the high school level. He got me thinking the right way, doing the right things, knowing what to do in certain situations. Then when I got to college, (Carthage coach) Augie (Schmidt IV), I can't explain what he's done.
"You take everything that I've learned from all of those different guys and to get where I am now, and I can't credit one guy more than another guy. From 'Ma' Pesch all the way to Augie, it's been things I've taken from each guy and I've learned and try to do it here. And the coaches at the professional level, they'll take me even further."
Q: Your older brother, Shaun, played collegiately at St. Norbert College. Was he someone you looked up to while you were growing up?
A: "He's my most influential person, because he was the one who got me and my brother, Pat, playing from two-years-old, one--year-old. From the first time we could walk, we were playing, somehow, competitive against each other. And he was the one always pushing us and getting us involved in those sports and teaching us how to swing a bat. I guess I would never have learned to swing a bat or throw a baseball if it wasn't for my brother Shaun.
"He was in college ball and I remember going to watch him play college baseball and stuff like that. And me dreaming of being like that, playing college baseball and stuff like that. He had an opportunity to get drafted out of college and he got a job opportunity that he couldn't turn down so he went after that. But I remember following him and he was a catcher and I wanted to be a catcher. Things like that. He was the person that really started it all."
Q: You weren't at the ballpark all of the time while you were in Piedmont, Batavia and Clearwater. What did you do in your spare time?
A: "Slept. You were at the park from, it varied from 1 to 2 every day and then you wouldn't get home until after 11. Then if you were on the road, you'd be at the park probably 2 or 3 and then you'd come back. If it was a traveling night, sometimes you'd come in at 8 or 9 in the morning the next day - you'd travel all night on a bus. That was really hard.
"In my spare time, I'd basically relax, sleep, or if I had some errands to do, or call some friends. But it takes so much out of you, every day, doing that, that you're just so tired. And you have to sleep or else you're not going to be able to get through it."
Q: What are you doing to get ready for next season?
A: "Right now I'm on active rest, so I go jogging here and there, go play basketball, shoot around for the next three weeks. In the first week of October, I'm moving down to Chicago and the Phillies have me set up with a personal trainer and I'm in a baseball-type academy (Diamond Sports Academy) where they know what I need to work on to get better. His name is Mark Dorn, he's helped me out a lot in the last year or two. I have little jobs here and there to make some money on the side, but right now it's baseball I have to focus on. The No. 1 thing is baseball right now, because if I want to get to the major leagues, you really have to work.
"The offseason is where you make up time on the other guys - guys that are slacking, are laid-back, think they got it, especially the guys with all of the money. That's where guys like me have to work hard and beat them out in the long run. Hopefully it comes true, but right now I just have to bust my butt. They've given me a strength program to keep me going so I know what I'm doing so I'm not doing a bunch crazy stuff. I have a pretty good plan of what's going to happen before spring training next year."
Q: Now that the season is over, has the Phillies organization told you anything about next year? Where do you hope to be sent once the 2001 season starts?
A: "They want me to be somewhere that I can be the No. 1 catcher. Catch and get 400-500 at bats next year. Maybe split time here and there, but they want me to be primarily be a No. 1 type guy.
"They are more than pleased, they told me, with what I have shown them so far. Especially the way I've shown them, because I've kind of been thrown in here and there and to do what I've done, just by being thrown in there, they're really pleased with that and they just want to see what I can do in an everyday type of thing.
"I don't know where I'll be next year, that's yet to be determined. Spring training is where they really figure out where you're going to be. They basically told me, 'What you've done right now is above and beyond what we expected and that's a good thing and just make sure you work hard in the offseason and when you come to spring training, be ready.' "