“You look at his numbers and they don’t say much, but you know, he just always seems to be in the middle of things.”
But not so fast. Here’s another stat for Sullivan fans:
While the team is 40-23 (.635), in games Brian Sullivan has played in they stand at 38-12, good for a .760 mark. Of course, the mentally adroit of you will say “but, wait, a lot of those games are as a defensive substitute, so no wonder he’s skewed toward the winning side of the register!” And those folks might have a well-deserved smugness to their expression that says “gotcha!” except for the fact that in the 31 games Sullivan has started the team is 23-8 (.742)…yes, a little under his numbers on the whole, but still better than the team’s average performance.
So, what gives?
“Brian’s just one of those guys who gets into everything,” said shortstop Miguel Padilla. “He’s always talking, you know, and always thinking about things. And he’s got that thing about him that just seems to show up when you need it.”
For example, Sullivan and his .303 OBP picked up two hits and two walks to score two runs in a big 10-6 win in Edmonton. Earlier this year he extended an inning an sparked a game-winning rally by striking out, but scampering to first on a wild pitch. He’s scored 19 runs in 122 plate appearances, which is more than Rob Thomas in his 158 PA. On a rate basis, he’s scoring more often than lead-off hitter Mauro Saucedo, and more often than his double-play mate Miguel Padilla. More often than DH George Robertson. Or 1B/DH Dimiao Laqui. Or 3B Alejandro Rodriguez. In fact, the most similar player on the roster when it comes to runs scored/PA is a guy named Lucas McNeill…who you might have heard of somewhere or another. Oh, yeah, that’s right, the McNeill kid is that franchise’s all-time leader when it comes to runs scored.
I knew I’d heard of him somewhere.
Anyway, ask for it, and it seems Sullivan is delivering: turn a key double play? Got it? Save a bad catcher throw and still get the tag down? Check. Deliver a RBI double? Right-o.
Of course, you can take this too far. No one, including Sullivan himself, is saying this guy is worth a Lucas McNeill. But there’s something fun going on and YS9 fans are starting to buy into it, a few having begun a fan club, calling themselves “Sulligans” (an odd mash-up of “Hooligans for Sullivan”) and attending games specifically to chant when their favorite guy comes to the plate or fields a ball.
“He’s got a rugby player’s mentality, it seems,” said Wes Larrigan, a free-lance welder who has lived in Yellow Springs his whole life. “Just sticks his nose In places and sees what happens. We love him like we love Kenny’s home brew.”