Sherm Lollar, baseball player, 155 home runs, 1946-1963

Sherm Lollar

Born: 8/23/1924 in Durham, AR, USA

Died: 9/24/1977 in Springfield, MO, USA

MLB Debut: 1946-04-20 | Final Game: 1963-09-07

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: John Sherman Lollar

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Biography

Sherm Lollar was a prominent American baseball player who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1946 to 1963. Born in 1924, Lollar established himself as a reliable position player, appearing in 1,752 games throughout his career. He recorded 1,415 hits, 155 home runs, and 808 RBIs, achieving a batting average of .264. His ability to contribute both offensively and defensively earned him recognition, culminating in nine All-Star selections during his tenure in the league. Lollar was known for his solid all-around skills, which were particularly valuable in an era characterized by a blend of power hitting and strategic play. He played during a transformative time in baseball, witnessing the transition from the deadball era to a more offensive-minded game. In addition to his offensive contributions, Lollar displayed speed on the base paths with 20 stolen bases, demonstrating versatility in his playing style. His legacy remains significant, as he was a key figure in the evolution of the catching position and a respected competitor in the game.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1752 5351 623 1415 244 14 155 808 20 671 453 0.264 0.357 0.402 0.759 7676.1

Career AVG .264 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .357 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — +8.0% above league average.

Career SLG .402 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.759 vs. league average 0.717 across their career seasons — +5.9% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1946 CLE AL 28 62 7 15 6 0 1 9 0 5 9 0.242 .256 (-6%) .328 (-9%) .358 (+8%) .687 (avg) -23.5
1947 NYY AL 11 32 4 7 0 1 1 6 0 1 5 0.219 — — — — 0.0
1948 NYY AL 22 38 0 8 0 0 0 4 0 1 6 0.211 — — — — 0.0
1949 SLA AL 109 284 28 74 9 1 8 49 0 32 22 0.261 .262 (-1%) .343 (-1%) .384 (avg) .727 (-1%) -21.6
1950 SLA AL 126 396 55 111 22 3 13 65 2 64 25 0.280 .265 (+5%) .346 (+13%) .401 (+12%) .747 (+12%) 1172.5
1951 SLA AL 98 310 44 78 21 0 8 44 1 43 26 0.252 .260 (-4%) .336 (+4%) .385 (+3%) .721 (+3%) 262.9
1952 CHW AL 132 375 35 90 15 0 13 50 1 54 34 0.240 .252 (-5%) .326 (+8%) .369 (+4%) .696 (+6%) 627.9
1953 CHW AL 113 334 46 96 19 0 8 54 1 47 29 0.287 .264 (+9%) .335 (+16%) .397 (+5%) .733 (+10%) 826.2
1954 CHW AL 107 316 31 77 13 0 7 34 0 37 28 0.244 .261 (-7%) .333 (avg) .390 (-10%) .723 (-5%) -218.5
1955 CHW AL 138 426 67 111 13 1 16 61 2 68 34 0.261 .258 (+1%) .332 (+12%) .393 (+4%) .726 (+8%) 947.4
1956 CHW AL 136 450 55 132 28 2 11 75 2 53 34 0.293 .258 (+14%) .331 (+16%) .397 (+10%) .728 (+13%) 1327.0
1957 CHW AL 101 351 33 90 11 2 11 70 2 35 24 0.256 .257 (avg) .323 (+6%) .391 (+1%) .715 (+3%) 289.4
1958 CHW AL 127 421 53 115 16 0 20 84 2 57 37 0.273 .257 (+6%) .324 (+13%) .394 (+15%) .719 (+14%) 1346.1
1959 CHW AL 140 505 63 134 22 3 22 84 4 55 49 0.265 .256 (+3%) .323 (+6%) .392 (+15%) .715 (+11%) 1171.5
1960 CHW AL 129 421 43 106 23 0 7 46 2 42 39 0.252 .255 (-1%) .323 (+1%) .387 (-8%) .711 (-4%) -310.5
1961 CHW AL 116 337 38 95 10 1 7 41 0 37 22 0.282 .258 (+9%) .328 (+10%) .399 (-5%) .727 (+2%) 243.7
1962 CHW AL 84 220 17 59 12 0 2 26 1 32 23 0.268 .257 (+4%) .326 (+13%) .393 (-11%) .719 (avg) 137.2
1963 CHW AL 35 73 4 17 4 0 0 6 0 8 7 0.233 .246 (-5%) .308 (+3%) .371 (-23%) .680 (-11%) -101.5

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
8 26 6 8 2 0 1 6 1 3 0.308

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1959 WS CHA 6 22 3 5 0 0 1 5 1 3 0.227
1947 WS NYA 2 4 3 3 2 0 0 1 0 0 0.750

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 27 23 184 17 1 19
3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
C 1571 926 7059 688 62 101

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1946 CLE C 24 0 89 9 1 1
1947 NYA C 9 0 44 3 0 0
1948 NYA C 10 0 36 4 1 1
1949 SLA C 93 0 279 39 4 3
1950 SLA C 109 0 367 48 8 9
1951 SLA 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1951 SLA C 85 0 361 48 2 8
1952 CHA C 120 0 590 53 7 4
1953 CHA 1B 1 0 3 0 0 0
1953 CHA C 107 0 470 51 3 2
1954 CHA C 93 84 395 38 3 8
1955 CHA C 136 130 664 62 4 12
1956 CHA C 132 123 679 40 5 6
1957 CHA C 96 90 454 45 1 5
1958 CHA C 116 112 597 63 9 8
1959 CHA 1B 24 23 177 17 1 19
1959 CHA C 122 106 623 51 5 14
1960 CHA C 123 111 555 54 3 12
1961 CHA C 107 93 464 48 1 6
1962 CHA C 66 59 298 23 3 0
1963 CHA 1B 2 0 4 0 0 0
1963 CHA C 23 18 94 9 2 2

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 1573
First Base 28
Third Base 1

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1959 Gold Glove C
1959 TSN All-Star C
1958 Gold Glove C
1957 Gold Glove C

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1959 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 44.0 336 0
1958 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 57.0 336 0
1957 Most Valuable Player AL 22th 2.0 336 0
1956 Most Valuable Player AL 16th 27.0 336 0
1955 Most Valuable Player AL 11th 37.0 336 0
1950 Most Valuable Player AL 27th 4.0 336 0