Herrmann was a hard working White Sox catcher in the early 1970s, gutsy in blocking the plate and knocking down Wilbur Wood‘s knuckleballs. Thanks mainly to Wood, Herrmann led the AL in passed balls four times. Although his batting averages were generally low, he had some power. In 1970, when he hit a career-high .283 with 19 homers in 96 games, he spent his bench time during home games in the bullpen helping restore a 1929 Ford. After infrequent Chicago victories, he’d delight fans by riding the smoking “Big White Machine” around the park. His grandfather Marty pitched for the Dodgers in 1918.
