| Larry Sherry | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1935-07-25)July 25, 1935 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
| Died: December 17, 2006(2006-12-17) (aged 71) Mission Viejo, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 17, 1958, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 7, 1968, for the California Angels | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 53–44 |
| Earned run average | 3.67 |
| Strikeouts | 606 |
| Saves | 82 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Lawrence Sherry (July 25, 1935 – December 17, 2006) was an American professionalbaseball player andcoach. He played inMajor League Baseball as a right-handedrelief pitcher from 1958 to 1968, most prominently as a member of theLos Angeles Dodgers andDetroit Tigers. He was named theMost Valuable Player of the1959 World Series as the Dodgers won their first championship since relocating fromBrooklyn just two years earlier. After his playing career, Sherry managed in the minor leagues before serving as a major league coach for thePittsburgh Pirates and theCalifornia Angels.
Sherry was born into a Jewish family inLos Angeles, California.[1] His parents, Harry Scharaga Sherry and Mildred "Minnie" (Walman) Sherry, were children ofRussian Jewish immigrants who escaped separately fromantisemiticpogroms. Some of his relatives who settled in Europe were killed inthe Holocaust. His paternal grandparents, Max and Sarah Scharaga, came to the United States in 1898, and around 1920, his father changed their surname to Sherry.
Larry was born withclubfeet, for which he needed surgery as an infant and wore special shoes.[2] He attendedFairfax High School in Los Angeles. His brotherNorm Sherry also played in Major League Baseball (MLB). The two played together on theLos Angeles Dodgers from 1959 to 1962, and occasionally formed abattery, with Larry pitching and Norm catching.[3]
From Los Angeles, Sherry made his debut with his hometown Dodgers on April 17,1958 – just their third game after moving west. Adding to the pressure, the game was played on the road against their hated rivals, theSan Francisco Giants, who had also relocated from New York City. Sherry had a brief outing, facing four batters without recording an out, and appeared in only four more games all year.
But he returned with a solid season in1959,winning 7 games with only two losses, with anearned run average of 2.19.[1] He was namedMVP of the 1959 World Series, in which the Dodgers defeated theChicago White Sox in 6 games, and also received theBabe Ruth Award.[1] Sherry completed all four Dodger victories during the Series, winning two of them andsaving the two others, and had a 0.71 ERA in12+2⁄3innings.[4]
In1960 he won a career-high 14 games, finished 38 games (4th in the league), pitched in 57 games (6th in the league), and even received support for MVP, coming in 20th in the voting.[1]
In 1961 he was 5th in the NL in saves (15) and games finished (34), and 9th in games pitched (53).[1] In 1962 he was 7th in saves (11) and games pitched (58).[1]
He was traded to the Tigers forLou Johnson and cash just before the1964 season, and spent three and a half years with his new club, earning a career-best 20saves in 1966, 3rd-best in the AL.[1]
He was traded to theHouston Astros forJim Landis for the second half of the 1967 season, and ended his career with three games for theCalifornia Angels in1968.[1]
Sherry retired with a record of 53–44, 606strikeouts, 82 saves and a 3.67 ERA in 416 games and799+1⁄3 innings.[1]
Through 2010, he was 5th all-time in career games (directly behindDave Roberts), 8th in strikeouts (directly behindBarney Pelty), and 9th in wins (directly behindBarry Latman) among Jewish major league baseball players.[5]
After his pitching career, Sherry managed in thefarm systems of the White Sox (1970–1972) andPittsburgh Pirates and coached in the Dodgers' minor league organization. He was the Pirates' MLBpitching coach in 1977 and 1978, then held the same post with theCalifornia Angels in 1979 and 1980.[citation needed]
In 1993 Sherry was inducted into theSouthern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[6] Sherry marketed a popular 'Larry Sherry Pitch Back' in the early 1960'sthat returned a pitched ball.
On December 17, 2006, Sherry died at his home inMission Viejo, California, after a long battle withcancer.
· Baseball Almanac| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Pittsburgh Piratespitching coach 1977–1978 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | California Angelspitching coach 1979–1980 | Succeeded by |