December 22, 2019
In Memoriam: Barry M. Sullivan ’76; baseball All-American
Barry M. Sullivan ’76, former PC All-American and a member of the PC Athletic Hall of Fame, died on Dec. 22, 2019.
Mr. Sullivan was born in Fall River, Mass., and attended Somerset High School, where he played football, basketball, and baseball. At PC, he played baseball for four years, and three of the Friars’ teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
Known for a stout work ethic, he played center field and became one of the best hitters in school history. A left-handed hitter, Mr. Sullivan struck out just 12 times in four seasons. His finest season was 1975, when he hit .422 and won the New England batting championship, also collecting Third Team All-America honors. A two-time New England all-star, he was inducted into the PC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1986.
Following his time with the Friars, Mr. Sullivan signed with the Chicago Cubs in 1977 before an arm injury ended his professional playing career. He spent several seasons coaching, first as an assistant at Brown and Harvard universities. He then led Bristol Community College for one year and was an assistant coach for Harwich of the Cape Cod League.
It was while coaching with Harwich in 1981, during the Major League players strike, that Mr. Sullivan met Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski. Yastrzemski’s son, Mike, played for Harwich, and Carl, wanting to stay game-ready, took batting practice with Mr. Sullivan pitching. Once the strike ended, Mr. Sullivan continued as Yastrzemski’s personal batting practice pitcher for the rest of the season, throwing to him at Fenway Park and for some of the Sox’ road games.
Aside from baseball, Mr. Sullivan built a career in real estate. He sold commercial property, ran his own real estate appraisal business, and served as director of real estate for the city of Providence, where he developed a reputation for solving problems with compassion and kindness.
A friend recalled that during his time working for the city of Providence, Mr. Sullivan found shelter for a homeless man in a city-owned building before paying for the man to live in a halfway house. In the final weeks of his life, he arranged to treat nurses caring for him with Knead Donuts.
He is survived by his wife, Rachele; two children; two siblings; and three nieces and nephews.
His memorial prayer service was held at Cranston Christian Fellowship, Cranston, R.I.
