Steve Sieradzki

Induction Year

1991

Inductee Type

Traditional

Sport

Football, Basketball, Baseball

An all-around athlete and first team All-State fullback for Muskegon High School, Steve Sieradzki and his teammates won runner-up honors in the Class A basketball finals in the Spring of 1942, as well as a share of the mythical gridiron state championship in the fall of 1942.
Following graduation, Sieradzki was drafted by the U.S. Army, serving as a paratrooper during World War II. The war over, he enrolled at Michigan State College (now Michigan State University) following his release from the military in 1946. The Spartan coaching staff eagerly welcomed his football and baseball talents with great expectations for the former Big Red star. But injuries would haunt Sieradzki at MSC. A starting fullback, the 22-year-old freshman suffered a rib injury in the sixth game of the 1946 season and he was forced out of the Spartan lineup. An ankle injury in the first week of practice once again removed Sieradzki from consideration for the fullback spot in early 1947. Upon his return, he was switched to left halfback where he averaged 6.1 yards per carry in 32 attempts as the Spartans rolled to a 7-2 record. A fine baseball player, Sieradzki notched a .232 average in 17 games for Coach John Kobs in the spring of 1947.

Sieradzki left MSC prior to the 1948 baseball season. In June of that year, he signed an unusual professional contract with the New York Yankees to play both football and baseball. The baseball Yankees also sponsored an entry in the All-American Football Conference, a post-war rival of the National Football League, and they played their home schedule at fabled Yankee Stadium. During the baseball season, Steve played briefly with several New York farm teams. Disappointed with his progress with the Yankee organization and by the separation from his family required by a career in professional sports, he retired in the spring of 1950.
Sieradzki returned to Muskegon to concentrate on selling real estate. He rose to new heights in his chosen career, assembling large land purchases for development throughout Michigan and the Midwest. The father of nine children, Sieradzki died of a heart attack in 1968 at the age of 44.

High School

Muskegon High School

College

Michigan State University