Norm Sherry, 89, Dies; Gave Koufax a Tip, and the Rest Is History

After Koufax walked his first three hitters, Sherry visited the mound. He suggested that Koufax take some speed off his fastball to gain better control. Koufax, who had been plagued with control problems before then, went on to be cement his name in baseball history.

“He had a good eye for people’s talent and what they were doing wrong,” Mike Sherry said.

Norman Burt Sherry was born on July 16, 1931, in New York City and moved with his family to Southern California as a boy. He attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles.

Sherry signed with the Dodgers in 1950, when the team was still in Brooklyn, and spent seven years in their farm system. His career was interrupted for two years of Army service in Germany.

Sherry’s brother, Larry, a relief pitcher, spent 11 seasons in the major leagues. He was the Most Valuable Player in the 1959 World Series, when he and Norm were teammates on the Dodgers (although Norm didn’t play).

On May 7, 1960, Norm and Larry Sherry became the first Jewish brothers to be battery mates in Major League Baseball history.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/11/sports/baseball/norm-sherry-dead.html