Born in Morrisville, North Carolina, he attended Wake Forest University, and did not break into Major League baseball until he was age 27. Sorrell was the subject of an eligibility controversy at Wake Forest in 1925. In April 1925, in a game attended by 8,000 fans (a record for a baseball game in North Carolina), North Carolina State College challenged Sorrell\'s eligibility, claiming he had played in an excessive number of games per week in semi-pro baseball the previous summer. Following the challenge, Sorrell went on to pitch a 12-inning victory over State College. Sorrell later became State College\'s baseball coach in 1946 after his professional career.\n', '

After the eligibility controversy at Wake Forest, Sorrell jumped from Wake Forest to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League and posted an 8–0, 3.08 record in 1926. He won his first four decisions with the Maple Leafs in 1927, giving him 12 victories in pro ball before he suffered his first loss. In 1927, he went 14–8, 3.98 and finally caught the attention of a major league scout from Detroit.\n', '

In 1928, Sorrell joined the Tigers and played there for ten years. He was one of the first major league pitchers to wear glasses. Sorrell was a starting pitcher and workhorse for the Tigers from 1928 to 1933, starting 175 games, and completing 80, in his first 6 seasons. His best season was 1930, when Sorrell had a 16–11 record, and was among the American League leaders in ERA (7th), wins (8th) and shutouts (4th). Sorrell was also among the AL leaders in strikeouts in 1931 with 99.\n', '

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