Yadier Molina
Encyclopedia
Yadier Benjamin Molina known affectionately by fans as "Yadi", is a Major League Baseball
catcher
who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals
.
Molina was the third catcher to play in two World Series before age 25, along with Johnny Bench
and Yogi Berra
. He is considered one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, throwing out 42% of runners attempting a stolen base (2005–2010). He has also led major league catchers in pickoffs (2005–2010) with 36.
and José, are also major league catchers. José, Bengie and Yadier are the only trio of brothers to have each earned World Series rings. Molina lives in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico
, and stays in Caseyville, Illinois
, during the baseball season. On October 20, 2008, he had a son named Yanuell, and on July 4, 2010, he had a daughter named Arianna with his wife Wanda.
. Molina was picked over Matheny to start Game 4 of the 2004 World Series
against the Boston Red Sox
; during the following offseason, Matheny signed a three-year, $10.5-million contract with the San Francisco Giants
, clearing the road for Molina to become a starter for St. Louis.
In , Molina's defense did not disappoint, and despite an awful offensive start, Molina proved to be a consistent contact hitter. In 114 games, he posted a .252 batting average
with eight home run
s and 49 RBIs
.
Molina played for the Puerto Rican team in the first
World Baseball Classic
. He went 3–5 with an RBI in four games.
Before the 2006 season, Molina changed his number from 41 to 4. In , in Game 7 of the NLCS
, Molina hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning off Aaron Heilman
of the New York Mets
, giving the Cardinals a 3–1 lead and helping them secure a trip to the 2006 World Series
, where they defeated the Detroit Tigers
in five games.
In 2007, Molina had his first two-homer game, against the Milwaukee Brewers
on August 16, and ended the season with a .275 batting average
, six home runs, and 40 RBIs.
Manager Tony La Russa
and pitching coach Dave Duncan
estimate that Molina is responsible for calling over 75% of all pitches thrown during a game. On January 14, 2008, Molina and the Cardinals agreed to a four-year, $15.5 million deal with a club option for a fifth, cementing his position as their starting catcher. After the 2008 season, Molina received his first of four Gold Glove Awards.
On July 5, 2009, Molina was selected to represent St. Louis in the 2009 Major League Baseball All Star Game as the NL starting catcher. He also won his second Gold Glove award later that year.
On April 5, 2010, Molina hit a grand slam
home run; he is only the third Cardinals player to hit a grand slam on Opening Day.
On April 17, 2010, Molina caught all 20 innings of a game between the Cardinals and Mets.
He was shut down for the season after an examination on his sore right knee on September 23.
On November 1, 2010, he won his fourth consecutive Fielding Bible Award
as the sole catcher, becoming the first player at any position to win the award unanimously with a perfect score of 100.
On November 10, 2010, he won his third consecutive Gold Glove Award
.
On August 2, 2011, he was ejected during a game against the Brewers for arguing a called strike, after which he appeared to spit at the umpire. Molina said his face was sweaty and he didn't intentionally spit. Molina served a five-game suspension from MLB for "making contact with umpire Rob Drake
multiple times and spraying him with spittle twice while arguing."
On November 1, 2011, he won his fourth consecutive Gold Glove Award
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
.
Molina was the third catcher to play in two World Series before age 25, along with Johnny Bench
Johnny Bench
Johnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...
and Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
. He is considered one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, throwing out 42% of runners attempting a stolen base (2005–2010). He has also led major league catchers in pickoffs (2005–2010) with 36.
Early life and family
Molina was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, to Gladys Matta and Benjamín Molina. Molina's two older brothers, BengieBengie Molina
Benjamin José "Bengie" Molina , nicknamed "Big Money", is a former Major League Baseball catcher.He is the older brother of major league catchers José Molina and Yadier Molina....
and José, are also major league catchers. José, Bengie and Yadier are the only trio of brothers to have each earned World Series rings. Molina lives in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, and stays in Caseyville, Illinois
Caseyville, Illinois
Caseyville is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,310 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Caseyville is located at ....
, during the baseball season. On October 20, 2008, he had a son named Yanuell, and on July 4, 2010, he had a daughter named Arianna with his wife Wanda.
Professional career
Molina made his debut with the Cardinals during their pennant-winning season of , backing up former Gold Glove-winner Mike MathenyMike Matheny
Michael Scott Matheny is the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. He is also a former baseball catcher, playing for four different teams during his thirteen years in the major leagues...
. Molina was picked over Matheny to start Game 4 of the 2004 World Series
2004 World Series
The 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
; during the following offseason, Matheny signed a three-year, $10.5-million contract with the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, clearing the road for Molina to become a starter for St. Louis.
In , Molina's defense did not disappoint, and despite an awful offensive start, Molina proved to be a consistent contact hitter. In 114 games, he posted a .252 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with eight home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 49 RBIs
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
.
Molina played for the Puerto Rican team in the first
2006 World Baseball Classic
---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:...
World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
. He went 3–5 with an RBI in four games.
Before the 2006 season, Molina changed his number from 41 to 4. In , in Game 7 of the NLCS
2006 National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series , the second round of the 2006 National League playoffs, began on October 12 and ended on October 19; it was scheduled to begin on October 11, but was postponed a day because of inclement weather. The St...
, Molina hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning off Aaron Heilman
Aaron Heilman
Aaron Michael Heilman is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. Heilman was drafted by the New York Mets out of Notre Dame in 2001. He came up through the Mets system as a starting pitcher but was converted to a relief pitcher in 2005...
of the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, giving the Cardinals a 3–1 lead and helping them secure a trip to the 2006 World Series
2006 World Series
The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
, where they defeated the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in five games.
In 2007, Molina had his first two-homer game, against the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
on August 16, and ended the season with a .275 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, six home runs, and 40 RBIs.
Manager Tony La Russa
Tony La Russa
Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals...
and pitching coach Dave Duncan
Dave Duncan (baseball)
David Edwin Duncan is an American former professional baseball player and current pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals...
estimate that Molina is responsible for calling over 75% of all pitches thrown during a game. On January 14, 2008, Molina and the Cardinals agreed to a four-year, $15.5 million deal with a club option for a fifth, cementing his position as their starting catcher. After the 2008 season, Molina received his first of four Gold Glove Awards.
On July 5, 2009, Molina was selected to represent St. Louis in the 2009 Major League Baseball All Star Game as the NL starting catcher. He also won his second Gold Glove award later that year.
On April 5, 2010, Molina hit a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
home run; he is only the third Cardinals player to hit a grand slam on Opening Day.
On April 17, 2010, Molina caught all 20 innings of a game between the Cardinals and Mets.
He was shut down for the season after an examination on his sore right knee on September 23.
On November 1, 2010, he won his fourth consecutive Fielding Bible Award
Fielding Bible Award
A Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each fielding position in Major League Baseball based on statistical analysis. John Dewan and Baseball Info Solutions conduct the annual selection process...
as the sole catcher, becoming the first player at any position to win the award unanimously with a perfect score of 100.
On November 10, 2010, he won his third consecutive Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
.
On August 2, 2011, he was ejected during a game against the Brewers for arguing a called strike, after which he appeared to spit at the umpire. Molina said his face was sweaty and he didn't intentionally spit. Molina served a five-game suspension from MLB for "making contact with umpire Rob Drake
Rob Drake
Robert Paul Drake is an umpire in Major League Baseball. He wears number 30.Drake was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and has worked in both Major Leagues since umpiring his first MLB game on September 3, . Drake had previously worked in the Northwest, Midwest, Eastern, California and Pacific Coast...
multiple times and spraying him with spittle twice while arguing."
On November 1, 2011, he won his fourth consecutive Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
.
Awards
- Fielding Bible AwardFielding Bible AwardA Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each fielding position in Major League Baseball based on statistical analysis. John Dewan and Baseball Info Solutions conduct the annual selection process...
at catcher, 2007 - Fielding Bible Award at catcher, 2008
- Fielding Bible Award at catcher, 2009
- Fielding Bible Award at catcher, 2010
- Gold Glove Awards at catcher, 2008–2011
- Platinum Glove Award at catcher, 2011