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Program Description
Description
Join author John G. Coulson as he shares the life story of Bill Sherdel, a very humble, courageous left-handed pitcher who became one of the great southpaws in St. Louis Cardinals history. Willie’s dream was to become a major league pitcher – a rather big dream for a small boy from a small local town. Not the most talented or biggest, he worked hard and learned from the greats. Sherdel’s best years were in the 1920s while the Cards were playing in two World Series. Known for his slow ball, Willie was given the honor of pitching the first game against Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and the powerful Yankees in both series.
Willie remains the Cardinals' winningest left-hander and fifth all-time winner. Willie also pitched the third-most games and the fourth-most innings. Like all pitchers, he loved to talk about his hitting. Among Cardinals’ pitchers, Sherdel owns the fourth-most career home runs and the fifth-best batting average for his .337 in 1923. Willie’s contemporaries included over 90 Hall of Famers and some of the greatest players of all time including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, and Rogers Hornsby.
At the program Willie's grandson, John Sherdel, will display MANY items from his grandfather's career, including his World Series ring. Autographed copies of Wee Willie Sherdel: The Cardinals' Winningest Left-Hander will be available for purchase.
Disclaimer(s)
Celebrating America fosters a greater sense and understanding of America's history and Carroll County's important role in that history by joining forces with private and public institutions around the county. For more information about the initiative, visit Carroll County's Celebrating America website.