Larry Sherry – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Larry Sherry made his mark in baseball history across 11 seasons in the Major Leagues, though, honestly, most folks probably remember him for one incredible season rather than his whole career. He pitched right-handed from 1958 to 1968, suiting up for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, and California Angels.

Sherry retired from professional baseball in 1968 after wrapping up his final three games with the California Angels. He finished with 53 wins, 44 losses, and a 3.67 ERA.

What really set Sherry apart was his unforgettable performance in the 1959 World Series, where he helped pitch the Dodgers to victory over the Chicago White Sox. Born with clubfeet, Sherry faced some big physical hurdles just to make it to the majors, which makes his story even more impressive.

His journey from struggling minor leaguer to World Series hero shows just how unpredictable baseball careers can be.

After his playing days, Sherry moved into coaching and kept his connection to the game alive. He took on coaching roles with teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels.

His story gives you a glimpse into the challenges of professional baseball, and the grit you need to make it at the top.

Larry Sherry’s Baseball Career Overview

Larry Sherry spent eleven seasons in Major League Baseball as a right-handed relief pitcher between 1958 and 1968. He played for four teams, notching 53 wins, 44 losses, 606 strikeouts, and 82 saves.

Teams Played For

Sherry started his MLB career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1958 and stayed until 1963. Those were his best years, especially with his standout 1959 World Series performance.

In 1964, the Dodgers sold him to the Detroit Tigers. Sherry stayed in Detroit through most of 1967, and in 1966, he hit his career-high with 20 saves for the Tigers.

The Tigers traded Sherry to the Houston Astros for Jim Landis in the second half of 1967. That stint didn’t last long before he landed on his final team.

Sherry wrapped up his career with the California Angels in 1968, appearing in just three games before hanging it up.

Major League Baseball Debut and Final Season

Larry Sherry made his big league debut on April 17, 1958, with the Dodgers. He was just 22 when he first stepped onto a major league field.

He earned his shot after years of grinding through the minors. Sherry worked his way up through several farm teams before finally getting his chance.

By 1968, Sherry’s playing days were winding down. The California Angels released him on July 7, 1968, after only three appearances that year.

Key Career Statistics

Here’s what Sherry accomplished during his 11 years in the majors:

• Games Played: 416
• Wins: 53
• Losses: 44
• Earned Run Average: 3.67
• Strikeouts: 606
• Saves: 82
• Innings Pitched: 799⅓

In 1960, he led the National League with 13 relief wins. Sherry’s top year for saves came in 1966, when he picked up 20 while pitching for Detroit.

He took home two World Series championships and snagged World Series MVP honors in 1959.

Role as a Right-Handed Relief Pitcher

Sherry made his name as a right-handed relief pitcher. People knew him as a power pitcher who could mix up his slider speeds, which made life tough for hitters.

His most famous moment came in the 1959 World Series against the White Sox, where he won two games and saved two more. He threw 12⅔ innings, allowing just one run and eight hits.

Relief pitching started to matter more in the 1960s, and Sherry helped shape the modern closer’s role, especially during his Detroit years.

In his breakout 1959 season, he came out of the bullpen 14 times, putting up a crazy 0.74 ERA over 36⅓ innings.

1959 World Series and Career Highlights

Sherry reached the height of his career in 1959, helping the Dodgers win their first World Series since moving from Brooklyn. As a rookie reliever, he dominated the series with two wins and two saves, earning both the Most Valuable Player and Babe Ruth Awards.

World Series Champion and MVP

The 1959 World Series was a huge deal for both Sherry and the Dodgers. Just 24 and called up mid-season, Sherry became the key figure in the Dodgers’ championship win.

The Dodgers beat the Chicago White Sox in six games, and Sherry played a part in all four Dodgers victories in that series.

He’d been in the minors just three months earlier, which makes his performance even more impressive. That win was the Dodgers’ first championship since moving to LA.

Sherry’s World Series Stats:

• Games Appeared: 4
• Wins: 2
• Saves: 2
• ERA: 0.71
• Innings Pitched: 12⅔

Performance in the 1959 World Series

Sherry’s pitching was lights-out throughout the series. He finished all four Dodger wins and stayed steady under pressure.

With a 0.71 ERA over 12⅔ innings, he stifled the White Sox when it counted. Sherry struck out important hitters in big moments.

That World Series was unusual—no starting pitcher threw a complete game, so relievers like Sherry became even more valuable.

He even helped at the plate, going 2-for-4 and adding a little offense to his pitching heroics.

Babe Ruth Award

Besides the World Series MVP, Sherry picked up the Babe Ruth Award for his outstanding play. That honor recognized his huge role in the Dodgers’ championship run.

The Babe Ruth Award and his MVP trophy made it clear he was the most influential player in the series.

These awards put Sherry in the conversation as one of the best rookie relievers in World Series history. His 1959 performance still stands out as the highlight of his career.

He earned his spot in Dodgers lore and baseball history.

Personal Life and Early Years

Larry Sherry was born on July 25, 1935, in Los Angeles, California. He faced some serious physical challenges from the start, and that shaped his drive as both a person and an athlete.

At Fairfax High School, Sherry showed off his athletic skills beyond just baseball, setting the stage for his future in sports.

Family and Heritage

Larry was born with clubfeet, which his family thought happened because his mother fell during her pregnancy. He had surgery at just six months old to fix his feet.

He wore special shoes for years and struggled to walk normally until he was about twelve.

Sherry grew up with three older brothers—Stan, Norm, and George—all of whom played baseball for their high school team at Fairfax High.

Wanting to follow his brothers, Larry worked hard to overcome his physical setbacks. The Sherry brothers became pretty well known in LA high school sports.

On May 7, 1960, Larry and Norm made baseball history: they became the first and only Jewish brother battery in Major League Baseball, with Norm catching and Larry pitching.

High School and Early Baseball Experience

At Fairfax High, Sherry excelled in more than just baseball. He captained the basketball team and set a school record by scoring 22 points in a single game.

His baseball skills developed alongside his basketball talent. The American professional baseball player caught the attention of pro scouts.

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed him right after he graduated in 1953.

His first pro assignment was with the Dodgers’ farm team in Santa Barbara. At 18, he threw a shutout against Bakersfield, showing early promise.

Still, he was young and inexperienced, so his first season ended with a modest 1-2 record.

Transition to Coaching and Later Roles

After his playing days ended with the Angels in 1968, Larry Sherry jumped into coaching at both the minor and major league levels. He coached with the Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels, plus worked with several minor league teams.

Minor League Management

Sherry started coaching right after the Angels released him on July 7, 1968. He took a job as pitching coach for the Seattle Rainiers in the Pacific Coast League to finish out that season.

That was his first real step from player to instructor. Coaching in the Pacific Coast League let him pass along his pitching knowledge and strategy to up-and-coming players.

Later, Sherry returned to work in the Dodgers’ minor league organization. That brought him back to the team where he’d had his biggest moment as a player.

Having fought through the minors himself, Sherry was a natural mentor for young pitchers. He understood how tough it could be to find consistency and command at the pro level.

Major League Coaching Career

Sherry’s major league coaching career took him to two organizations in the late 1970s. He served as pitching coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1977 and 1978 seasons.

That Pirates job was probably his most significant as a major league coach. He worked with established pitchers and helped shape the team’s pitching approach.

After Pittsburgh, Sherry joined the California Angels coaching staff. He worked there in 1979 and 1980, returning to the club where he’d finished his playing career.

His time with the Angels lasted two seasons. Coaching there let him stay close to the game and share his experience with another big league team.

Career Statistics and Legacy

Larry Sherry put up solid numbers over his 11 MLB seasons from 1958 to 1968. That 53-44 record and 3.67 ERA showed he was a reliable relief pitcher, especially when the pressure was on.

Win–Loss Record, ERA, and Saves

Sherry wrapped up his career with a 53-44 win-loss record, proving his value as a reliever over 416 games. His 3.67 ERA reflected his steady performance across 799⅓ innings.

He collected 82 saves in his career. His best year for saves was 1966 with Detroit, when he notched 20 and ranked third in the American League.

In 1960, Sherry reached a career-high 14 wins in 57 games and finished 38 games that season, good for fourth in the National League.

Statistically, 1959 was his standout year. Sherry went 7-2 with a 2.19 ERA, which set him up for that World Series MVP run.

Strikeouts and Other Notable Stats

Sherry struck out 606 batters over his 11-year career. That put him eighth all-time among Jewish major leaguers through 2010.

He appeared in 416 games, ranking fifth all-time in games played among Jewish players. His durability made him valuable to every team he joined.

His 1.40 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) showed he could keep runners off base. He kept good control throughout his career, no matter which team he pitched for.

In 1961, he ranked fifth in the National League with 15 saves and 34 games finished.

Influence on Relief Pitching

Sherry really helped shape the modern relief pitcher role during baseball’s big transition in the late 1950s and 1960s. In the 1959 World Series, he finished all four Dodger wins himself, showing everyone just how much a reliever could impact postseason games.

Teams started changing how they used relief pitchers in big moments because of what Sherry did. He not only saved games, but he won them too, proving relievers needed to be versatile.

He played for four different teams and still kept up his performance. That showed everyone that good relievers could fit into all kinds of team philosophies.

Sherry’s run in the 1960s made teams realize how valuable a dedicated bullpen specialist could be.

Retirement and Final Years

Larry Sherry’s baseball journey wrapped up in 1968 with the California Angels. He finished with 53 wins, 44 losses, and a 3.67 ERA over 11 years in the majors.

After he stopped playing, he stuck around baseball through coaching roles. He lived quietly in California until he passed away in 2006 at age 71.

Retiring in 1968

Larry Sherry played his last major league game on July 7, 1968, with the California Angels. The Angels let him go that same day, and that ended his playing days.

He only appeared in three games for the Angels in his final season. Before that, he’d been traded from the Detroit Tigers to the Houston Astros during the 1967 season.

Sherry’s career numbers really tell the story of a reliable reliever. He finished with 53 wins and 44 losses in 416 games.

He struck out 606 batters and racked up 82 saves coming out of the bullpen. His 3.67 ERA over 799⅓ innings says a lot about his steady performance, year after year.

He pitched for four teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, and California Angels.

Life After Baseball

After retiring, Sherry didn’t leave the game behind. He jumped right into coaching, taking a job as pitching coach for the Seattle Rainiers in the Pacific Coast League for the rest of 1968.

He then moved up to the majors as a pitching coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1977 and 1978. From 1979 to 1980, he worked as a coach for the California Angels organization again.

Away from baseball, Sherry turned into an avid golfer. He settled in Mission Viejo, California, with his wife Sally, who he’d married back in 1956.

They raised two kids together, a son named Scott and a daughter named Suzanne. Sherry enjoyed a quiet life in Southern California, far from the spotlight, just enjoying his time after baseball.

Death and Remembrance

Larry Sherry passed away on December 17, 2006, in Mission Viejo, California, after a long battle with cancer. He was 71 when he died.

People still connect his legacy to that wild 1959 World Series run with the Los Angeles Dodgers. That season, he really became a household name, and honestly, it’s hard not to remember him for it.

Sherry’s story goes deeper, though. He overcame childhood disabilities—he was born with clubfeet, which couldn’t have been easy. His journey from tough times in the minors all the way to World Series hero? That kind of perseverance inspired a lot of folks.

Family meant a lot to him, and people saw him as both a devoted family man and someone who rose to the occasion when it mattered most in baseball. Even after his playing days, he gave back to the game by helping young pitchers learn the ropes as a coach.