A Perfect Pair: Molina, Pujols headline Cardinals Hall of Fame inductees
It had to be both of them, of course.
The St. Louis Cardinals announced their 13th Hall of Fame induction class Friday evening, and it is headlined by catcher Yadier Molina and first baseman Albert Pujols, the top two vote-getters from fans on this year’s ballot.
Left-hander Bill Sherdel, who pitched from 1918 to 1932 and died in 1968, was selected by the Red Ribbon Committee to round out the class.
From the day the fan ballot was revealed during spring training, there was trepidation about the possibility of Molina and Pujols being pitted against each other in the fan vote. The Cardinals have inducted only one player via that method since Tom Herr and John Tudor were elected together in 2020. The voting rules on the team’s website left open the possibility that multiple candidates could be inducted, and in a news release the Cardinals referred to the duo as “the top vote-getters” without revealing which finished first.
In the end, it is a fitting outcome for two players whose legendary careers — and personal affinity for each other — were tightly intertwined during one of the most successful stretches in Cardinals history.
“This year’s Hall of Fame Class promises to be one of the most celebrated since we inducted our inaugural class 12 years ago,” Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a statement. “On behalf of the Cardinals organization, I would like to congratulate Yadier Molina, Albert Pujols, and the late Bill Sherdel on this tremendous honor and thank our fans, as well as the Red Ribbon Committee, for casting their votes for this year’s inductees. We look forward to celebrating the achievements of these iconic players with our great fans during Hall of Fame Weekend in September.”
Outfielders George Hendrick and Brian Jordan were the other two players on the fan ballot, and they will return next year.
With expectations that interest in the induction ceremony will be higher than in recent years, the Cardinals plan to induct their three newest Hall of Famers inside Busch Stadium before a game against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, Sept. 12. The ceremonies have typically been held in the plaza outside Ballpark Village, but Molina and Pujols are certain to draw immense crowds.
The two debuted three years apart, with Pujols reaching the majors in 2001 and Molina following in 2004. From Molina’s debut through Pujols’ departure for the Los Angeles Angels after the 2011 season, they were core contributors to three pennant winners and two World Series champions, building Hall of Fame resumes that differ in style but not in certainty.
Pujols was named National League MVP three times as a Cardinal, matching Stan Musial for the most in franchise history. His 469 home runs with St. Louis trail only Musial, and he finished ninth or better in MVP voting in each of the 11 seasons of his first stint with the Cardinals.
Pujols returned to the Cardinals before 2022 and produced a spellbinding run to his 700th career homer, becoming only the fourth player in major league history to reach that plateau. Molina was there the entire time, and the two — along with Adam Wainwright, who is eligible for next year’s fan ballot — walked off the field together to a roaring ovation during the team’s final regular-season home game Oct. 2.
Molina won nine Gold Gloves and four Platinum Gloves, becoming one of the most feared and decorated defensive catchers in baseball history. From 2004 to 2022 — the full span of Molina’s career — the Cardinals didn’t just allow the fewest stolen bases in the majors; they allowed 468 fewer than any other team.
Molina was so feared that teams often didn’t try. By force of reputation, to say nothing of his prodigious skill, Molina became a deterrent behind the plate who eased immeasurable stress for Cardinals pitchers for two decades. He also developed into a dangerous hitter in the middle of his career, twice hitting 20 home runs. He finished in the top four in NL MVP voting in 2012 and 2013 — when the immediate aftermath of Pujols’ departure could have plunged the franchise into chaos.
Pujols (2008) and Molina (2018) also received the Roberto Clemente Award for community service and philanthropy, widely considered MLB’s most prestigious off-field honor.
Sherdel debuted as a 21-year-old in 1918, spending parts of 14 seasons in St. Louis and becoming arguably the franchise’s first relief ace at a time when relief pitching was far from the norm. He started 243 of his 465 games as a Cardinal and still holds the franchise record for victories by a left-hander, with 153.
September’s ceremony offers fans a chance to see Molina and Pujols don red jackets together for the first time, and it also could be a sneak preview of the 2029 Baseball Hall of Fame induction in Cooperstown. Pujols has a chance to become the first position player elected unanimously, and Molina’s respect across the sport leaves little suspense about whether he will join him in that class.
That will be an opportunity for the broader baseball community to celebrate them. This induction is the Cardinals’ fans’ opportunity to do the same — and to get a head start, seeing both together on the field one more time. It is fitting and proper that they do it together, in celebration of two remarkable careers.
