It was a good thing the Cardinals Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies were moved to Busch Stadium. It was a near sell out and Chip Caray said of the crowd, “It’s just like the good old days.”
The Cardinals inducted Yadier Molina, Albert Pujols and the late Bill Sherdel, in to their Hall of Fame, inside Busch Stadium as part of a special on-field pregame ceremony before the Cardinals-White Sox game. They met with the media beforehand. CLICK HERE.
Bill Sherdel was inducted first. His grandson John Sherdel accepted the honor and gave a meaningful speech.
We will have a special article about how the day was for the Sherdel family as our reporter Terry Lemons spent the day with his grandson, John Sherdel and other members of the family.
Chip Caray served as the emcee for the ceremony and Cardinals CEO, Bill DeWitt III did the talking for the team.
Yadier Molina was second and he received his red jacket. In a comedic moment he asked the trainer to come out and hep him put on eye black and as he put on a Cardinals hat he turned it backward like he wore with his catcher’s mask in games and said, “Now, I’m ready.”
Molina gave a heartfelt speech which brought both Adam Wainwright and Albert Pujols to tears when he mentioned them.
Molina went on to thank individuals such as his father, mother and wife in Spanish with Paolo Acencio translating for the fans. His mother was there as were this two brothers. He spoke for 30 minutes and was very emotional, at times with tears streaming down his face. Fans could tell he was honored and touched to be going into the Cardinals Hall of Fame.
Albert Pujols received his red jacket third and walked up to the podium to loud cheers from the audience. He acknowledged that it would be hard to follow Molina’s speech.
Pujols thanked the late Walt Jocketty as well as Tony La Russa. He also thanked his teammates and his family. He thanked “my grandmother, father and the rest of my family” as well as a special thank you to his current wife, Nicole. He then added special words for his children which caused him to become emotional.
The fans were enthusiastic and though they went right into the Cardinals regular game with the White Sox, it was a day full of emotion. Many of the current Cardinals watched the ceremonies as well as many White Sox players. A good number of the former players in town for the 2006 team tribute were also there in a special area on the field.
Over a dozen Cardinals Hall of Famers were there to take part in the Induction Ceremony including Ozzie Smith, Tony La Russa, Ted Simmons, Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds, Chris Carpenter, Mark McGwire, Ray Lankford, Jason Isringhausen, John Tudor, José Oquendo, Matt Morris, Édgar Rentería, and Al Hrabosky.
Pujols and Molina met with the media before the induction. To hear the interviews: CLICK HERE.
