The Cardinals’ 2026 Hall of Fame class will be headlined by Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina, and that’s exactly how it should be. Those are the names that will draw the spotlight. But tucked into the same group is a figure plenty of fans may not know nearly as well: pitcher Bill Sherdel.
Sherdel’s story reaches back to a different era of baseball, long before the draft and the farm system. He was born in McSherrytown, Pennsylvania, on August 15, 1896, and made his major league debut with St.
Louis on April 22, 1918, when he was 21 years old. Over 15 seasons in the majors, he never made an All-Star team, but he was a steady part of the Cardinals’ rotation and a durable arm the club could count on.
His peak came in 1928, when he went 21-13 with a 2.86 ERA and worked 20 complete games. That kind of workload is almost unimaginable now, but Sherdel was built for it. He also played a major role in the Cardinals’ run to their first World Series title in 1926, helping them reach the Fall Classic with 16 wins, a 3.49 ERA, 17 complete games and three shutouts.
Sherdel stayed with St. Louis through the 1930 season before being traded to the Boston Braves.
His career was winding down by then, but he found his way back to the Cardinals for one final stint in 1932 after the Braves sent him back to St. Louis.
He retired at 35.
Pujols and Molina will get most of the attention, and rightfully so. Still, Sherdel deserves a place in the conversation for what he meant to the franchise. He was an innings eater in an era that demanded it, and he helped deliver the Cardinals’ first championship.
He may not be the marquee name in this year’s Hall of Fame class, but he remains an important one in Cardinals history.
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