Bob Sullivan inducted into Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame
Nederlands

LANSING, Michigan (USA) - Bob Sullivan, the founder, owner and legendary longtime Manager of the famous Sullivans baseball-team, was one of four persons, who were inducted into the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame on Friday, August 7. Also inducted were Terry Collins, Bob Welch and Connie Wisniewski. Sullivan was inducted posthumously, as were Welch and Wisniewski.

...Bob Sullivan... (© Photo: Noord-Hollands Archief/ Fotopersbureau De Boer (Poppe de Boer))

The Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame opened in 2015 and honors the legacies of players, coaches, teams and contributors from Michigan, who represent the foremost in achievement and lasting impact, from Little League to the Major Leagues. The Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame is located in Jackson Field, home of Lansing Lugnuts, the High-A affiliate of Oakland Athletics, which since last season plays its home-games in West Sacramento, California. The team moves to Las Vegas in 2028.

Bob Sullivan passed away on Wednesday, February 18, at the age of 96 in his hometown Grand Rapids, Michigan. With his team, Bob Sullivan participated fourteen times (six wins) in the Haarlem Baseball Week, which made him an icon of the wellknown Dutch international biennial tournament in Haarlem. In those events, Sullivan was almost always accompanied by his good friend (pitcher and coach) Carl Angelo, another Baseball Week-icon. Angelo passed away in 2020 at age 88. For his influence, and with that his role in the development of Dutch baseball, Sullivan was part of the second class (1984) that was inducted into the Netherlands Baseball and Softball Hall of Fame. The Sullivans also participated once in the World Port Tournament in Rotterdam.

In 1953, Sullivan founded his baseball-team, a few years after he had started his company, Sullivan's Carpet & Furniture, in Grand Rapids. Bob Sullivan also worked as a scout for Major League-club Detroit Tigers for 36 years. The Sullivans baseball-team won numerous regional and national titles, including four National Baseball Congress championships (1960, 1970, 1983 and 1984). The team played in every NBC World Series tournament from 1955 to 1987. Bob Sullivan was the Manager during all those years.

In 1961, the Netherlands National Baseball Team traveled to Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, Michigan. There, the Orange-team played several games against the Sullivans. Two years later, in 1963, the Sullivans-team first participated in the second edition of the Baseball Week, which was the first to be held in the new Pim Mulier Stadium, and was the first none-European team to come to Haarlem. The Sullivans won the tournament. The team dominated for many years to come and became a fan-favorite!

The Sullivans returned in 1968 and won three 'Weeks' in a row. The team participated in the Haarlem Baseball Week fourteen times (1963, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, and 1998). Twelve of them as Sullivans and twice under the name Little Caesar's (in 1992 and 1994), when the pizza-chain was the team's main sponsor. The Americans won the Haarlem Baseball Week six times (1963, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1988 and 1990). In 1999, the Sullivans came one more time to the Netherlands to participate in the World Port Tournament in Rotterdam, where the team finished third.

When the team played in Haarlem, Bob Sullivan regularly invited former professional players to travel with the squad to the Netherlands, including former Major Leaguers Phil Regan in 1974 and Scott Meyer in 1982. Regan passed away on July 8 at age 89. Several Sullivans-players would play in the Major League in later years.

In 1976, Bob Sullivan was inducted into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame. For his accomplishment as a boxer, 'Sully' also was inducted into the Michigan Golden Gloves Hall of Fame. In 1984, Sullivan was one of thirteen persons, who were part of the second class that was inducted into the Netherlands Baseball and Softball Hall of Fame In 2013, Bob Sullivan received the Gerald R. Ford Award from the Michigan Hall of Fame. Also in 2013, Sullivan was inducted into the Michigan Irish American Hall of Fame in the category of Business and Industry.

As mentioned, Bob Sullivan was one of four persons inducted into the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame. Also inducted were Terry Collins, Bob Welch and Connie Wisniewski.

Terry Collins was a star short stop for Eastern Michigan University in 1968-1971. In 1971, he was drafted by Pittsburgh Pirates and played in the Minor Leagues through 1978, reaching Triple-A. After several seasons as Minor League-Manager, Collins was Bullpen Coach of the Pittsburgh Major League-team in 1992-1993. He then was a Manager in 13 Major League-seasons, leading Houston Astros (1994-1996), Anaheim Angels (1997-1999) and New York Mets (2011-2017). Following the 2017 season, Collins was named as a Special Assistant to the General Manager of New York Mets. Since February 2023, Collins is a Baseball Consultant at Miami Marlins.

Bob Welch also played for Eastern Michigan University (1974-1977). In his first year, Welch had an 1.29 ERA and led the team to the College World Series (fifth place). In the next year, he threw a No-Hitter and a Perfect Game, while EMU finished second in the College World Series. Welch pitched in the Major League for Los Angeles Dodgers (1978-1987) and Oakland Athletics (1988–1994). Welch won the World Series with Los Angeles in 1981 and Oakland in 1989. In 1990, he won 27 games and won the Cy Young Award, he was an All-Star twice (1980, 1990). In 17 Major League-seasons, Welch was 211-146. In 2001, Welch was the Pitching Coach of Arizona Diamondbacks, winning another World Series. And in 2006, Welch was the Pitching Coach of the Netherlands Team during the first World Baseball Classic. On June 9, 2014, Welch unexpectedly passed away at age 57, resulting from an accidental fall in the bathroom of his home.

...Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame 2026 inductees... ...Terry Collins, Bob Sullivan, Bob Welch and Connie Wisniewski... (© Photo: Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame)

Connie Wisniewski was a pitcher in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). She played for Milwaukee Chicks, with whom she won the 1944 Championship and was 23-10. The team moved to Grand Rapids in 1945. In that season, Wisniewski was 32-11 with an 0.81 ERA and was nicknamed 'Iron Woman'. She set a record with 391 innings and was named the AAGPBL Player of the Year. In 1946, Wisniewski was 33-9 with an 0.96 ERA in 366 innings and threw 40 complete games. In that year, she played in her first of four All-Star Games. She pitched again in 1947, but thereafter the league didn't allow underhand pitching. And so, in 1948, she moved to the outfield and led the league in Homeruns and Total Bases, finished second in Runs Batted In and was the third best hitter. In 1950, Wisniewski played in the National Girls Baseball League so she could resume underhand pitching. She won 30 games for Admiral Music Maids. But in 1951 and 1952, she again played Grand Rapids Chicks in the AAGPBL. Connie Wisniewski passed away in 1995 at age 73. Her record of 107-48 is the top winning percentage (.690) in AAGPBL-history.

(August 14)