Remembering Norm Sherry


Norm Sherry, a backup catcher for the Dodgers and Mets in the late '50s and early '60s, whose sage advice turned a struggling teammate into one of baseball's most dominating pitches, died last Monday at age 89. 


It's not often that the most significant moment of a player's career occurs in an exhibition game. But it did in Norm Sherry's case. His landmark day took place in spring training 1961, when the Dodgers were playing the Twins in a Grapefruit League game. After Sandy Koufax began the game by walking the first three batters, Sherry walked to the mound to try and get Koufax back on track. It came down to a simple suggestion: to ease back a bit and stop overthrowing. In one of those magical baseball mysteries, Koufax's pitchers came in harder, not softer. He struck out the side that inning -- his chronic wildness replaced by a newfound effectiveness -- as his journey to Cooperstown began in earnest.


The year before, Norm made history as part of baseball's first all-Jewish battery; his younger brother Larry was the Dodgers star relief pitcher.


He came to the Mets for the final Polo Grounds season (1963); the image atop this page is from the World Telegram and Sun's reprint booklet of their Meet a Met a Day series.


After his playing career ended, Norm Sherry coached for more than 20 years and spent 1976-'77 managing LA's other team, the Angels.



Comments

Bryan Nazario said…
Another one gone. I didn’t realize his first home was on Academy Street which is where I grew up.
March 15, 2021 at 10:13 AM
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