Sherry, Norm

Norman Burt Sherry

A catcher for the Dodgers, he and his brother Larry Sherry formed a battery in a game against the Phillies in 1960 -- the tenth brother battery in MLB history. Norm's homer in the 11th inning won the game! Norm's greatest contribution to the Dodgers, however, might well have been when during spring training in 1961, he advised a struggling young fireballer named Sandy Koufax to "just try to throw easier, throw more changeups, just get the ball over." Prior to that little piece of advice, Koufax was 36-40 lifetime. After it, he was 129-47.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. July 16, 1931

Career Highlights:
After hitting .333 his rookie year in 1959 (okay, so it was 1 for 3), Norm played on a more regular basis in 1960, slugging 8 home runs, batting a solid .283 with a slugging percentage of .500 in only 47 games. Norm played two more seasons with the Dodgers before catching for the New York Mets in 1963 -- in 1962, he tied a major league record for catchers when he completed an unassisted double play. Norm later managed the California Angels for parts of the 1976 and 1977 seasons, compiling a record of 76-71. He was subsequently the pitching coach for the San Diego Padres.

Career Dates:
Sherry played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, 1959-62, and the New York Mets, 1963. He managed the California Angels, 1976-77.

Position:
Catcher

Physical description:
5'11", 180 pounds
Right-handed

Career Statistics:
Games: 194
Batting Avg.: .215
Slugging Avg.: .346

At-bats: 497
Hits: 107
Doubles: 9
Triples: 1

Home Runs: 18
Home Run %: 3.6
Runs: 45
RBI: 69

BB: 37
Strike Outs: 102
Stolen Bases: 1

Pinch Hitting
At-bats: 18
Hits: 4

Fielding Statistics
Put-outs: 1025
Assists: 70
Errors: 12
Double-plays: 14

Total Chances per Game: 6.0
Fielding Avg: .989

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