Former Dodger Reliever Larry Sherry Passes Away at 71
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Former reliever Larry Sherry, 1959 World Series MVP in his rookie year with the Dodgers and 11 year MLB veteran passed away on Monday at age 71 after a long battle with cancer.
Being 58 years old myself, I remember Larry Sherry and still recall watching his MVP performance in the ‘59 World Series. Sherry was involved in all 4 of Dodger wins in the series, winning 2 and saving 2 He was part of that great Dodgers pitching staff of the late 50’s to mid-60’s with Don Drysdale, Johnny Podres, the then emerging Superstar and future Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, Roger Craig, Stan Williams and standout reliever Ed Roebuck.
AP Sports Writer John Nadel writes about Sherry’s career and family remembrances;
Sherry died early Sunday at his home in Mission Viejo, according to his brother, Norm, a former catcher.
Sherry’s two children and several other family members spent Saturday at his home.
“We were all there that day — my brother, George; nieces and nephews, his son and daughter,” Norm Sherry said Monday from his home in San Diego. “He had a caregiver there, and died shortly after his daughter left.”
Sherry was 2-0 with two saves and an 0.71 ERA to lead the Dodgers past the Chicago White Sox in six games to win the World Series in their second year in Los Angeles. He was the winning pitcher in the fourth and sixth games.
“Larry Sherry was a local product who became a household name in Los Angeles with his World Series heroics in 1959,” the Dodgers said in a statement. “He will always be associated with the Dodgers’ first championship in Los Angeles, and our deepest sympathies go out to his brother, Norm, and the entire Sherry family.”
Sherry had a 53-44 lifetime record with a 3.67 ERA in 400 relief appearances and 16 starts. He pitched for the Dodgers from 1958-63, and later played for the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros and California Angels before retiring in 1968 after appearing in three games with the Angels. He had a career-high 20 saves for the Tigers in 1966.
Sherry, born July 25, 1935, in Los Angeles, was the youngest of four brothers. He lived in Mission Viejo for the past 36 years.
“He had a tough childhood,” Norm Sherry recalled. “He was born clubfooted, doctors had to break his legs and reset them. He wore casts on both legs for the first year of his life. After that, he had to wear special shoes.”
Following retirement, Sherry served as the pitching coach for the Angels and Pittsburgh Pirates and managed in the White Sox organization. Norm Sherry said his brother gave pitching lessons before becoming ill about 12 years ago.
“He was a tough competitor. He was all business when he put that uniform on,” Norm Sherry said. “He had a way about him when he came in from the bullpen, he was a mean pitcher, he didn’t give any ground to anybody.
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=sherrno01 Norm Sherry, four years older than Larry, said his biggest thrill in baseball came in 1960, when he hit his first major league home run — a game-winner for the Dodgers against Philadelphia in the bottom of the 11th inning. What helped to make it so special was that Larry was the winning pitcher.
“We used to play in the alley way, high school, minor league ball one year,” Norm said. “I was very proud to watch him become such a good pitcher. His World Series performance was really something. For me being the older brother, I was popping my buttons.”
Norm Sherry played five years in the majors, and later served as a coach and manager with the Angels and a coach with Montreal, San Diego and San Francisco.
Sherry’s wife, Sally, died three years ago. He is survived by a son, Scott, a daughter, Susie, five grandchildren and his three brothers.
Baseball Library lists this summary about Larry Sherry as well as listing highlights from his career;
A 24-year-old rookie reliever called up by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the midst of the 1959 pennant race, Sherry went 7-2, won the first game of a best-of-three playoff with the Braves, and became the hero of the World Series. Relieving in all four Dodger victories, he recorded saves in Games Two and Three, and wins in Games Four and Six. In 12-2/3 innings of work, he allowed just one run and eight hits. For the first time in Series history, no member of either club’s staff pitched a complete game.
A power pitcher who threw a slider at several speeds, Sherry led the NL with 13 relief wins in 1960. He recorded 82 career saves, with a high of 20 for Detroit in 1966. He later returned to the Dodger organization as a minor league coach.
Ken Gurnick of MLB.com writes this about Larry Sherry;
In 1960, Sherry and his brother became the first all-Jewish battery in Major League history. Sherry also pitched for the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros and California Angels, compiling a 53-44 record, 3.67 ERA and 82 saves.
His out pitch was a slider he learned from his brother, Norm. Sherry was traded by the Dodgers to the Tigers for Lou Johnson, who helped the Dodgers win the 1965 World Series. After his playing career, Sherry was a pitching coach for the Pittsburgh and California organizations.
And here is a great memorabilia link from Most Valuable Network on Larry Sherry, his brother Norm, Sandy Koufax and then Dodger manager Walter Alston.
Relief pitcher Larry Sherry, July 25, 1935 - December 18, 2006.
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