March 10, 2021

By Danny Gallagher

Canadian Baseball Network

Norm Sherry helped mould Gary Carter into a better catcher with the Expos from 1978 to 1981.

"That's what I was there for,'' Sherry, a catcher in his playing days, told me for my book Blue Monday about the 1981 Expos. "I spent the whole time with him, like I was his shadow. He was probably tired of me. Everywhere he went, I went with him. I'd tell him how I did things and showed him how to use his hands, use his signals and move his body. He worked hard at it.''

Sherry, 89, died March 8 in the San Diego area where he had lived for many years. His death was announced by his family March 10. No cause of death was given.

Sherry was also a disciple and confidant to Expos manager Dick Williams from 1978 to 1981. When he wasn't helping Carter and other players, Sherry coached third base. At one juncture, Sherry was replaced at third by Ozzie Virgil after Sherry underwent back surgery following the 1978 season but he remained with the team as bullpen coach and continued to work with Carter.

Sherry had grown to admire Williams going back to 1976 when he was a coach under Williams with the Angels. Sherry also coached under Williams with the Padres from 1982 to 1984.

Sherry wasn't happy when Williams was fired by the Expos in September of 1981 and replaced by Jim Fanning. Like it or not, Fanning guided the Expos to their first-ever playoff spot and got them close to the World Series.

"Lousy. I didn't think it was right,'' Sherry told me about the firing of Williams. "He was running that ball club and all of the sudden, they told him you can't do it? He wasn’t there anymore.’’

Ironically, Sherry replaced Williams as Angels manager during the 1976 season.

“I was surprised I got his job when he got fired by the Angels,’’ Sherry told me. “After I was fired (July, 1977), Dick and (GM) Charlie Fox called me (after the season) and I became a coach with the Expos.’’

Sherry was born in the city of New York and while with the Dodgers, he helped mentor young, wild pitcher Sandy Koufax, who had control problems. The story goes that one day, Sherry went to the mound to give the pitcher a sermon, telling him that he should not throw as hard as he did. Koufax eventually listened and proceeded to be a Hall of Fame pitcher.

"Working with young players and the impression he left on people was probably his biggest legacy, I think," Sherry’s son, Mike, told mlb.com "Everybody liked him, and his working with Sandy Koufax was probably his shining moment."