“Whether or not his team succeeds in beating out the Yankees for the pennant, Sherman Lollar never will make American League followers forget Yogi Berra. But it’s time that he emerged from Berra’s shadow. There’s room in the spotlight for both of them.” Perhaps “Red” Gleason’s 1957 words in the 1957 Saturday Evening Post were a premonition?
The 1959 New York Yankees finished in third place in the American League with an uncharacteristic record of 79-75, 15-games behind the Chicago White Sox, who finished 94-60. It was maybe the only time that Sherm Lollar stood on a higher pedestal than Yogi Berra, even though Yogi was only 5’7″ while Sherm was 6’1″. Yogi played in 131-games that season and averaged .284 with 19 home runs and 69 RBIs. Sherm, on the other hand, hit .265 with 22 home runs, 84 RBIs, and another Gold Glove. Was the tide starting to turn?
His pitching staff had the lowest ERA in the league at 3.29 with 761 strike outs. Early Wynn won the Cy Young Award. Al Lopez was the Associated Press AL Manager of the Year. Everything went right for the White Sox that year except the outcome of the World Series. At least, Berra didn’t take that from him.
“His pitchers believe in him, Southpaw Jack Harshman who is Lollar’s roommate on the road says, ‘Sherm is a very intelligent catcher. I very rarely shake him off. It’s very important to have a catcher that understands what you are trying to do out there on the mound.’ Dick Donavan, another of the Sox hurling stars says, ‘I’d call Sherman the best catcher I’ve ever pitched to.’ Donavan was there for the 1959 World Series, after winning 9 regular season games but losing ten. Jack Harshman joined Paul Richards in Baltimore in 1958. Their comments were also borrowed from the 1957 Saturday Evening Post article by “Red” Gleason.
Sherm Lollar is mentioned in another The Sporting News article dated September 9, 1959, following the World Series loss to the Dodgers. The author is Bob Burnes under multiple headlines, “Blanket Finish for A.L. in MVP Voting: Morning Line on High-Noon Nominees: ChiSox Have 4 in Running for Top Prize; Cunningham, Banks Leaders in N.L. Race.” They add one more headline as the story continues on Page 6: “ChiSox, Tribe Heroes Offer Real Puzzle to MVP Voters.” As we all supposedly know, the Pennant winner doesn’t necessarily get the prize, so the three Cleveland players, Woodie Held, Rocky Colavito, and Tito Francona are decidedly in the mix, along with other deserving stars.
Lollar’s facial illustration is featured on the cover along with the other 11 finalists for the MVP Award. Three other White Sox candidates are in the running, including Luis Aparicio, Nellie Fox, and Early Wynn.
“The White Sox, leading the league, have no one to match any of (the candidates) in fire power. Chicago is last in both leagues in home runs.”
Lollar Clutch Crasher
They do have Sherm Lollar, finally coming into his own. He has hit 20 homers, five of them coming in clutch situations in the last two weeks. Regarded as one of the great receivers, Lollar has branched out, playing first base at times, so that John Romano could be used back of the plate to get more power in the lineup.”
Yogi Berra has won the A.L. MVP Award three times, 1951, 1954, and 1955, but he’s not on the ballet for 1959, while Sherm Lollar is at least being considered. Knowing Lollar’s humble nature, he would probably prefer that one of his teammates take the spotlight.
And the winner is….Nellie Fox, adding to the White Sox dominance of major awards this year! As a bonus, Ernie Banks, for the second year in a row, took the N.L. prize – a Windy City sweep in 1959!
To wrap-up the treasure booty from this unforgettable season, the November 18, 1959, issue of The Sporting News, in an article by Oscar Kahan, named Sherm Lollar as a Gold Glove winner, for the third straight year. Teammates Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio accepted their trophies for second base and shortstop, while once again no Yogi Berra, who has never won the award.
“In addition to Kaline, this also was the third year of fielding supremacy at their positions for Malzone, Lollar, and Shantz, while Power, Fox, Aparicio, and Minoso were winners for the second time.”
“Lollar, continuing his domination of the league’s catchers, won mask-and-mitt honors with 69 votes to 46 for Sammy White of the Red Sox, 31 for Gus Triandos of the Orioles, and 25 for Yogi Berra of the Yankees. It is interesting to note that Berra led the league’s receivers in fielding in all three years of the Golden Glove Awards, yet failed to best out Lollar for the trophies.”
“Steady Sherm handled fewer putouts and assists than Berra the past season and also made more errors, but the loop’s players voted him the top honor in obvious recognition of his leadership behind the plate for Chicago’s pennant winners.”
About the Authors:
“Robert Liston “The Benchwarmer” Burnes was a sportswriter for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat for over 50 years. After attending St. Louis University, he started writing for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat in 1936, then became sports editor in 1943, a position he held until the newspaper closed in 1986. During this time he was best known for his column, ‘The Benchwarmer.'”
Oscar Kahan rose to become assistant managing editor at The Sporting News before his passing at age 71 in 1980. He joined the paper in 1948, after working at the St. Louis Star-Times and the Associated Press bureaus in New York and Kansas City.
Bill, or more formally William “Red” Gleason, is a longtime Chicago Sun-Times columnist and proud South Sider, who worked for more than 60 years in Chicago journalism and helped launch the genre of talk sports broadcasting by helping to create a Sunday afternoon radio show called “The Sports Writers.” By 1985, the show expanded to become a nationally syndicated television program.
He was also an unabashed White Sox fan who retired in 2001 and passed in 2010 at the age of 87.
To be continued…
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