Norm Sherry

Norman Burt Sherry

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 181 lb.

• Debut April 12, 1959
• Final Game September 26, 1963
• Born July 16, 1931 in New York, NY USA

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[edit] Biographical Information

Norm Sherry, brother and sometimes battery mate of pitcher Larry Sherry, was a catcher in the major leagues from 1959-63, and managed the California Angels for two years in the 1970s. He also was a coach for the Angels for three years. Another brother, George Sherry, was a pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates chain in 1951.

Sherry was signed in 1950 and spent some of 1951 and 1954-55 with the Fort Worth Cats. He missed the 1952 and 1953 seasons due to military service. From 1965 through 1976, when he wasn't at the major league level as a manager or coach, he was doing the same at the minor league level for the Angels or Dodgers. After that, he was a coach with the Montreal Expos, and Gary Carter's biography at the Hall of Fame website gives Sherry credit for helping Carter become a good defensive catcher. Sherry was also a New York Yankees scout in 1968.

Sherry is often given credit for suggesting to Sandy Koufax that he throw a little less speedily in order to maximize his control, something that may have led to Koufax's tremendous success from 1962-66.

Sherry's batting averages went steadily down in the five seasons he spent in the majors. After a cup of coffee at .333, he hit .283 and .256 in more at-bats in 1960 and 1961. But in 1962 and 1963, he dipped under .200.

With his brother Larry, he was half of a brother battery, although Norm was never the Dodgers' primary catcher. Major League baseball has featured several such fraternal pitcher-catcher tandems over the decades, the most famous of which are probably Wes Ferrell and Rick Ferrell and Mort Cooper and Walker Cooper.

[edit] Year-By-Year Minor League Managerial Record

[edit] Related Sites