Norm Sherry
Norman Burt Sherry
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 181 lb.
- High School Fairfax High School (Los Angeles)
- Debut April 12, 1959
- Final Game September 26, 1963
- Born July 16, 1931 in New York, NY USA
- Died March 8, 2021 in San Juan Capistrano, CA USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Norm Sherry, brother and sometimes battery mate of pitcher Larry Sherry, was a catcher in the major leagues from 1959 to 1963, 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 1954-1955 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 California Angels or Los Angeles 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 to 1966.
Sherry's batting averages went steadily down in the five seasons he spent in the majors. After a cup of coffee at .333 with the Dodgers in 1959, he hit .283 and .256 in more at-bats in 1960 and 1961. But in 1962 and especially in 1963, his final season when he was with the New York Mets, he dipped under .200 all the way to .136.
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.
| Preceded by Dick Williams |
California Angels Manager 1976-1977 |
Succeeded by Dave Garcia |
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