A left-handed batter who threw right-handed, Sullivan stood 6 feet (180 cm) tall and weighed 195 pounds (88 kg) as an active player.
After graduating from Bernards High School near his hometown of Somerville, New Jersey, Sullivan signed with the Detroit Tigers in 1959 and made his debut with them in the waning days of the 1963 season.
He played eight years at the Triple-A level, including Rochester Red Wings, which was close to his wife's family in the Finger Lakes area.
His only under .500 club, the 1978 Omaha Royals, who finished 66–69, nevertheless topped their division and defeated the Indianapolis Indians for the American Association championship.
In 1979, Sullivan began a 15-year run as a Major League coach, serving with the Royals (1979), Atlanta Braves (1980–81), and Toronto Blue Jays (1982–93).