He advanced one level in each of four seasons in the minor leagues. [43], Before the 2009 season commenced, Molina participated with Puerto Rico in his second WBC. Cast a ballot for change. In that game, his solo home run provided the difference in a 54 Cardinals victory. [181] He won his ninth Gold Glove.[182]. He was back in action on October 1 against Cincinnati, although he was removed from that game due to a "tweaked" knee. [87] An aggressive hitter, he batted .380 with seven home runs on the first pitch; his home run total on first pitches ranked seventh in the NL. [53] He also won his second Gold Glove award after the season. Nick Hall . Following his 2012 fourth-place MVP finish, his 2013 in-season jersey sales rose to third place, just after Posey and retiring New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, according to a July 11 report. The all-time hits leader in Liga de Bisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente (o Molina officially retired from professional baseball Tuesday. After a 2022 season in which he recorded a career-low .535 OPS, Molina will officially close the book on an outstanding career. Over his 19 years in the big leagues, Molina appeared in 10 All-Star games and took home nine Gold Glove awards and a Silver Slugger award. [69], On August 2, Molina was ejected from a game against the Milwaukee Brewers for arguing a called strike. However, Molina's hitting lagged behind his defense. [69] With his 30th double on September 21, he became the fourth catcher in Cardinals history to reach that milestone, following Simmons, Bob O'Farrell and Walker Cooper.[73]. They are also the only trio of brothers to play as catchers in the major leagues. [246] Molina also owned a home in Jupiter, Florida, the home of the Cardinals spring training facilities, but sold it in 2020. [43] On September 2, he and Felipe Lpez hit consecutive home runs against the Arizona Diamondbacks en route to an 82 victory. Overall, he batted .299 with five doubles and 12 RBIs. [15], Molina began his professional career with the Johnson City Cardinals of the Rookie-level Appalachian League in 2001, playing 44 total games and batting .259. The appointment created some controversy in Puerto Rico after the resignation of team general manager Eduardo Prez, who had reportedly sought to name Astros bench coach Joe Espada to the position. Capped by Molina's three-run home run, the Cardinals rallied and won 54 in the ninth. [14] At one point in that extended spring training, instructor Dave Ricketts observed Molina from a golf cart during a game as he was still learning how to catch; he had been transitioning from third base. [245] He then purchased a home in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Umpire Jerry Meals attempted to get between Gonzlez and Molina, but Molina briefly shoved Meals. Baseball Prospectus estimated in 2013 that Molina saved 35 defensive runs per season through his pitch framing and had moved 301 out-of-zone pitches that were called strikes between April 1 and June 30, 2013. ", Brad Weimer, the creator for Jonathan Lucroy's All-Star voting advertisement, intended to take votes away from Molina, With the All-Star Game nearing, Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy aired Archived July 15, 2014, at the Wayback Machine a satirical television commercial in the style of a political advertising campaign on June 17 to outgain Molina in the All-Star voting totals. [131] However, he still had not fully recovered, as he batted .250 in September with a pronounced drop in power production. He also had thrown out 10 of 32 baserunners (31.3%) well below his career average of 45% but an Associated Press reporter attributed the decline to an inexperienced pitching staff. [55] At that point, Bill James Online rated that Molina saved his team fifteen total runs from pickoffs alone in his career. [1] He led the team in batting average for the second straight season, thus becoming the first catcher in franchise history to do so. In a 2009 tournament game against the Netherlands on March 9, Molina's eighth-inning double keyed a rally in which Puerto Rico won 31. "[258] Continuing with relief efforts, Molina was consequently named the recipient of the annual Roberto Clemente Award on October 24, 2018.[243]. Molina's father played second base as an amateur and worked as a tools technician 10 hours per day in a Westinghouse factory. 
His .281 batting average after the All-Star break ranked fifth among NL catchers. This could be a season-ending injury. 
[224], As the publication Viva El Birdos wrote, "Yadier Molina broke into the majors as a light-hitting defensive specialist", who hit mostly singles. More than three million Puerto Ricans were left without power, and The New York Times had reported that over 95% of cell service was unavailable. By the time Cameron charged the ball, it was too late; it fell in for a hit, and Jim Edmonds was able to score. That caught stealing gave Molina five in seven total chances in the 2011 postseason to that point; the Rangers had been tied with the Cardinals for most steals in that postseason. The knee surgery ended his season early on September 24. St. Louis Cardinals' Yadier Molina reacts after Texas Rangers' David Murphy flies out to end Game 7 of baseball's World Series Friday, Oct. 28, 2011, in St. Louis. St. Louis won 20 of 28 games to finish the season, allowing them to tie the Braves for the wild card lead going into the final day. The only thing you have to think about is making the pitch, because you know Yadi's going to catch whatever you throw. [136] On November 4, Molina was announced as winning his seventh consecutive Gold Glove, tying Boone as having won the third-most Gold Gloves among catchers. Starting in the top of the ninth, he batted with a 11 score. [39] Molina is an avid fan of the St. Louis Blues, and attends games frequently. [132] His 110 appearances were his fewest since his rookie season in 2004. 
[186] He had the slowest sprint speed of all National League players, at 22.8 feet/second. [134] In Game 2 of the NLCS against the Giants, Molina collected his 89th career hit in the postseason, passing Pujols for the franchise record. His 44 doubles were the most in the Major Leagues among catchers since Ivn Rodrguez' 47 in 1996. [190] Molina would eventually recover from the disease. St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina can't catch forever. 
Beltrn fouled off the first, but Wainwright struck him out looking at a "bender that started up and away and bit hard to the low inside corner" for the final out of the game. [212], On September 10, 2018, he was selected to be part of the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series as a member of the MLB All-Stars team. He was selected through fan vote to represent the Cardinals in the All-Star Game in St. Louis' Busch Stadium his first All-Star Game. The voice-over narrator posed the question, "Do you want another St. Louis Cardinals catcher to star in an All Star game? Its not a question of if Yadier Molina will one day get a statue outside Busch Stadium, have his number retired by the Cardinals and receive unending applause [1][13] He batted .308 in the National League Division Series (NLDS), .348 in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) and .412 in the World Series. As a Cincinnati Reds fan, a natural disdain for Yadier Molina is nearly a rite of passage. WebYadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a solo home run in the 6th inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 3, 2017 in Chicago, Yadier Molina of Puerto [31] For the season, he caught 41% of all base-stealing attempts and picked off seven runners. Of his final 35 starts, 12 were multi-hit games. Molina prepared for the Classic by playing 14 games for the winter league team in Puerto Rico Rodrguez managed. [86] On May 1, Molina mounted the first of two two-stolen base games of the season; the other occurred August 3. However, he sustained his second significant injury of the season in that same game, straining his left abdominal oblique muscle during another at bat,[135] due in part to compensation in his swing for lost power following his thumb injury earlier in the season. [63] After an examination on his sore right knee on September 23, Molina was shut down for the rest of the season, missing 12 games. "[200] On April 14, Molina caught his 2,000th game with the Cardinals, the most by a catcher on one team. It was also the first time they had seen each other in about three and one-half years. By Anthony Franco | August 24, 2021 at 5:11pm CDT The Cardinals announced theyve agreed to a one-year contract extension with Yadier Molina . Thus, he became a more consistent hitter as his career progressed, defying the scouting reports that he would have a weak bat. After starting with a .256 average through 85 games, Molina batted .365 from July 8 to the end of the season, and overall hit .307, eight home runs, 58 RBIs,[160] and led all major league catchers with 164 hits and 38 doubles. [38], From May 1 to 24, Molina strung together a then-career high 15-game hitting streak, during which he batted .373. He was the season leader in the NL every year from 200514, except 2008 and 201112. [85] He collected his tenth career four-hit game against the Brewers on April 29 with a two-run home run that led the Cardinals to a 73 win. [60] On April 17, he caught all 20 innings of a game against the Mets. With both Aledmys Daz and Mike Leake attempting to catch the ball, Molina posited himself and waited. "[128] At that point, he was batting .287 with a .341 OBP, .409 SLG, 16 doubles, seven homers, and 30 RBIs through 83 games. This distinction of having Molina retire as a Cardinal is something that carried weight for both parties throughout the negotiations. Isnt there a better way? [103] Eight days later, Molina was behind the plate to call rookie Michael Wacha's one-hit, 8 23 innings of shutout work in a 20 victory over the Washington Nationals. The extension assured Molina of remaining in St. Louis through 2020, and increases the chances that he will finish his career having played for just one organization, the one that drafted him. I Hate That I Love Yadier Molina. [20] The following offseason, Matheny signed a three-year, $10.5-million contract with the San Francisco Giants, clearing the way for Molina to become the Cardinals' starting catcher. This also proved to be the deciding hit in this game, as the Cardinals held up to win, 85. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. ', "St. Louis Cardinals: Yadier Molina to play 2,000th game Wednesday", "Molina returning for 19th season with Cardinals", "In good hands: Cardinals lead majors with six fielders named finalists for Gold Glove awards", "Waino, Yadi set wins record as Cards erupt", "Yadi follows Pujols' lead, takes the mound", "Yadi, strikeout pitcher: Catcher nets 1st K", "Time-tested Waino-Yadi battery sets record that may never be broken", "Is Ivn Rodrguez the greatest catcher in major league history? [199] In regards to the signing, Molina stated "this is my home" and "I'm happy to be back. [2][3], Each day when he completed work, Molina's father went directly home, ate dinner with his family, and crossed the street from his family's home with his sons and his sons friend Carlos Diaz to Jess Mambe Kuilan Park, spending countless evening hours teaching them the fundamentals of the sport. Among players with at least 90 games played, Molina's 48% caught stealing and 3.20 catcher's ERA were both first in the major leagues. [26][27], In 114 games, Molina posted a .252 batting average with eight home runs and 49 RBIs with just 30 strikeouts in 421 plate appearances. [6][35][36] His mask was turned in for display at the Baseball Hall of Fame. [c][115][116], The Cardinals squared off against the Pirates in the NLDS. Is Carson Kelly his eventual replacement or will someone else step into that void? [188], In 2020, Molina made his 16th consecutive Opening Day start. [208], In 2022 he batted .214/.233/.302 in 262 at bats, and was the slowest player in major league baseball, with a sprint speed of 21.8 feet per second. His .337 batting average following the All-Star Break tied for seventh in the NL. Molina also played for the Puerto Rican national team in four World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournaments, winning two silver medals. Widely considered one of the greatest defensive catchers of all time for both his blocking ability and his caught-stealing percentage, Molina won nine Rawlings Gold Gloves and six Fielding Bible Awards. Molina later apologized, stating that he did not intend to spit on the umpire and that he "was caught up in the moment. [13] It was the highest World Series RBI total among catchers since Sandy Alomar Jr., drove in 10 in 1997. Cardinals fans need to know that enough is enough." But Gold Gloves, not bats, are prominently tattooed on Molinas upper left arm. [78] For the series, the Rangers attempted to steal four bases and were successful just once. Selected to his third consecutive All-Star Game, he substituted for the starter, McCann, played four innings and doubled in his only at-bat. Defensively, he registered career-highs of nine pickoffs and a caught-stealing percentage of 64 from throwing out 25 of 39 would-be base-stealers. [252] He is close friends with Vladimir Tarasenko. [158] His tenth-inning double against Milwaukee on August 30, his 30th of the season and 300th of his career, helped lead the Cardinals to a 21 victory. Molina checks in at 169. [44] He held on to the ball to help the Cardinals win. The Cardinals' conquest of the NLCS gave them a return trip to the World Series after two years. "[11][224], Advanced defensive metrics known as sabermetrics show he is a top defender among catchers in MLB history. That November, Molina received his first Gold Glove Award, becoming the third Cardinal catcher ever to win the honor, after Tom Pagnozzi and Matheny. Baseball in Puerto Rico is a significant part of the island's culture. 
He and winner Buster Posey became the first pair of catchers to finish in the top four in the award's 88-year history. [4][254], Even while the Molina brothers still lived in the United States playing professional baseball, their parents stayed in the same home near the park where the brothers grew up playing ball, Jess Rivera Park. [202], Molina finished the 2021 season batting .252/.297/.370 with 11 home runs and 66 RBIs over 121 games and again had the slowest sprint speed of all major league catchers, at 22.6 feet/second. [58] For the first time in his career, Molina earned Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) consideration. [255] Benjamn Molina organized youth teams. With Shinnosuke Abe batting for Japan in the top of the eighth inning, and Hirokazu Ibata on second and Seiichi Uchikawa on first, J. C. Romero was pitching for Puerto Rico. While accumulating 39 mult-hit games, the Cardinals won 27 of them. [39], The first multi-error game of Molina's career occurred July 13 against the Philadelphia Phillies on a catch and throw. He doubled and scored on David Eckstein's go-ahead single on his way to three hits in a June 12 defeat of the New York Yankees, 53. [37], Batting out of the number-five spot in the batting order for the first time in his career on Opening Day, 2007, Molina collected two hits. [125] However, Brad Weimer, the advertisement's creator, confirmed the humor was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. Molina threw out pinch runner Josh Harrison attempting to steal second base in the eighth inning to help the Cardinals preserve a 21 lead. That three-hit game also gave Molina 78 for his career, tied for 43 on the all-time list for catchers. Yadi needs to find out how they work. He stroked a broken-bat single to shallow center field in the bottom of the ninth inning against the New York Mets. He finished tied for 23rd with Miguel Tejada with one percent of the vote share. He reported to spring training having lost 15 pounds and in improved physical shape from rehabilitating following knee surgery. He also has a tattoo on each [43] For the season, he successfully caught 35% of opposing baserunners, still higher than the league average of 27%. Molina made his Major League debut on June 3. [35] Former Cardinals starter Jake Westbrook said he was "a part of every aspect of the game: starters, relievers, offense, defense. Yadier Benjamn Molina was born on July 13, 1982, in Bayamn, Puerto Rico, the youngest of three boys to Gladys Matta and Benjamn Molina, Sr. 
Molina hit a single with two outs in the ninth inning in his last at-bat, with the sellout crowd of 48,515 serenading him with a standing ovation. [197] However, his participation was shadowed by the poor performance of the team,[198] resulting in a sweeping 4-0 series with the Indios de Mayagez. [96] The St. Louis chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) named him the St. Louis Baseball Man of the Year for 2012. Of all catchers in franchise history with at least 450 PA in a season, he became just the second ever, after Simmons, to bat over .300; it was then the fourth-best season batting average; and, his 29 strikeouts were the fewest since Simmons fanned 20 times in 1976.
His .281 batting average after the All-Star break ranked fifth among NL catchers. This could be a season-ending injury. [224], As the publication Viva El Birdos wrote, "Yadier Molina broke into the majors as a light-hitting defensive specialist", who hit mostly singles. More than three million Puerto Ricans were left without power, and The New York Times had reported that over 95% of cell service was unavailable. By the time Cameron charged the ball, it was too late; it fell in for a hit, and Jim Edmonds was able to score. That caught stealing gave Molina five in seven total chances in the 2011 postseason to that point; the Rangers had been tied with the Cardinals for most steals in that postseason. The knee surgery ended his season early on September 24. St. Louis Cardinals' Yadier Molina reacts after Texas Rangers' David Murphy flies out to end Game 7 of baseball's World Series Friday, Oct. 28, 2011, in St. Louis. St. Louis won 20 of 28 games to finish the season, allowing them to tie the Braves for the wild card lead going into the final day. The only thing you have to think about is making the pitch, because you know Yadi's going to catch whatever you throw. [136] On November 4, Molina was announced as winning his seventh consecutive Gold Glove, tying Boone as having won the third-most Gold Gloves among catchers. Starting in the top of the ninth, he batted with a 11 score. [39] Molina is an avid fan of the St. Louis Blues, and attends games frequently. [132] His 110 appearances were his fewest since his rookie season in 2004. [186] He had the slowest sprint speed of all National League players, at 22.8 feet/second. [134] In Game 2 of the NLCS against the Giants, Molina collected his 89th career hit in the postseason, passing Pujols for the franchise record. His 44 doubles were the most in the Major Leagues among catchers since Ivn Rodrguez' 47 in 1996. [190] Molina would eventually recover from the disease. St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina can't catch forever. Beltrn fouled off the first, but Wainwright struck him out looking at a "bender that started up and away and bit hard to the low inside corner" for the final out of the game. [212], On September 10, 2018, he was selected to be part of the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series as a member of the MLB All-Stars team. He was selected through fan vote to represent the Cardinals in the All-Star Game in St. Louis' Busch Stadium his first All-Star Game. The voice-over narrator posed the question, "Do you want another St. Louis Cardinals catcher to star in an All Star game? Its not a question of if Yadier Molina will one day get a statue outside Busch Stadium, have his number retired by the Cardinals and receive unending applause [1][13] He batted .308 in the National League Division Series (NLDS), .348 in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) and .412 in the World Series. As a Cincinnati Reds fan, a natural disdain for Yadier Molina is nearly a rite of passage. WebYadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a solo home run in the 6th inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 3, 2017 in Chicago, Yadier Molina of Puerto [31] For the season, he caught 41% of all base-stealing attempts and picked off seven runners. Of his final 35 starts, 12 were multi-hit games. Molina prepared for the Classic by playing 14 games for the winter league team in Puerto Rico Rodrguez managed. [86] On May 1, Molina mounted the first of two two-stolen base games of the season; the other occurred August 3. However, he sustained his second significant injury of the season in that same game, straining his left abdominal oblique muscle during another at bat,[135] due in part to compensation in his swing for lost power following his thumb injury earlier in the season. [63] After an examination on his sore right knee on September 23, Molina was shut down for the rest of the season, missing 12 games. "[200] On April 14, Molina caught his 2,000th game with the Cardinals, the most by a catcher on one team. It was also the first time they had seen each other in about three and one-half years. By Anthony Franco | August 24, 2021 at 5:11pm CDT The Cardinals announced theyve agreed to a one-year contract extension with Yadier Molina . Thus, he became a more consistent hitter as his career progressed, defying the scouting reports that he would have a weak bat. After starting with a .256 average through 85 games, Molina batted .365 from July 8 to the end of the season, and overall hit .307, eight home runs, 58 RBIs,[160] and led all major league catchers with 164 hits and 38 doubles. [38], From May 1 to 24, Molina strung together a then-career high 15-game hitting streak, during which he batted .373. He was the season leader in the NL every year from 200514, except 2008 and 201112. [85] He collected his tenth career four-hit game against the Brewers on April 29 with a two-run home run that led the Cardinals to a 73 win. [60] On April 17, he caught all 20 innings of a game against the Mets. With both Aledmys Daz and Mike Leake attempting to catch the ball, Molina posited himself and waited. "[128] At that point, he was batting .287 with a .341 OBP, .409 SLG, 16 doubles, seven homers, and 30 RBIs through 83 games. This distinction of having Molina retire as a Cardinal is something that carried weight for both parties throughout the negotiations. Isnt there a better way? [103] Eight days later, Molina was behind the plate to call rookie Michael Wacha's one-hit, 8 23 innings of shutout work in a 20 victory over the Washington Nationals. The extension assured Molina of remaining in St. Louis through 2020, and increases the chances that he will finish his career having played for just one organization, the one that drafted him. I Hate That I Love Yadier Molina. [20] The following offseason, Matheny signed a three-year, $10.5-million contract with the San Francisco Giants, clearing the way for Molina to become the Cardinals' starting catcher. This also proved to be the deciding hit in this game, as the Cardinals held up to win, 85. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. ', "St. Louis Cardinals: Yadier Molina to play 2,000th game Wednesday", "Molina returning for 19th season with Cardinals", "In good hands: Cardinals lead majors with six fielders named finalists for Gold Glove awards", "Waino, Yadi set wins record as Cards erupt", "Yadi follows Pujols' lead, takes the mound", "Yadi, strikeout pitcher: Catcher nets 1st K", "Time-tested Waino-Yadi battery sets record that may never be broken", "Is Ivn Rodrguez the greatest catcher in major league history? [199] In regards to the signing, Molina stated "this is my home" and "I'm happy to be back. [2][3], Each day when he completed work, Molina's father went directly home, ate dinner with his family, and crossed the street from his family's home with his sons and his sons friend Carlos Diaz to Jess Mambe Kuilan Park, spending countless evening hours teaching them the fundamentals of the sport. Among players with at least 90 games played, Molina's 48% caught stealing and 3.20 catcher's ERA were both first in the major leagues. [26][27], In 114 games, Molina posted a .252 batting average with eight home runs and 49 RBIs with just 30 strikeouts in 421 plate appearances. [6][35][36] His mask was turned in for display at the Baseball Hall of Fame. [c][115][116], The Cardinals squared off against the Pirates in the NLDS. Is Carson Kelly his eventual replacement or will someone else step into that void? [188], In 2020, Molina made his 16th consecutive Opening Day start. [208], In 2022 he batted .214/.233/.302 in 262 at bats, and was the slowest player in major league baseball, with a sprint speed of 21.8 feet per second. His .337 batting average following the All-Star Break tied for seventh in the NL. Molina also played for the Puerto Rican national team in four World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournaments, winning two silver medals. Widely considered one of the greatest defensive catchers of all time for both his blocking ability and his caught-stealing percentage, Molina won nine Rawlings Gold Gloves and six Fielding Bible Awards. Molina later apologized, stating that he did not intend to spit on the umpire and that he "was caught up in the moment. [13] It was the highest World Series RBI total among catchers since Sandy Alomar Jr., drove in 10 in 1997. Cardinals fans need to know that enough is enough." But Gold Gloves, not bats, are prominently tattooed on Molinas upper left arm. [78] For the series, the Rangers attempted to steal four bases and were successful just once. Selected to his third consecutive All-Star Game, he substituted for the starter, McCann, played four innings and doubled in his only at-bat. Defensively, he registered career-highs of nine pickoffs and a caught-stealing percentage of 64 from throwing out 25 of 39 would-be base-stealers. [252] He is close friends with Vladimir Tarasenko. [158] His tenth-inning double against Milwaukee on August 30, his 30th of the season and 300th of his career, helped lead the Cardinals to a 21 victory. Molina checks in at 169. [44] He held on to the ball to help the Cardinals win. The Cardinals' conquest of the NLCS gave them a return trip to the World Series after two years. "[11][224], Advanced defensive metrics known as sabermetrics show he is a top defender among catchers in MLB history. That November, Molina received his first Gold Glove Award, becoming the third Cardinal catcher ever to win the honor, after Tom Pagnozzi and Matheny. Baseball in Puerto Rico is a significant part of the island's culture. He and winner Buster Posey became the first pair of catchers to finish in the top four in the award's 88-year history. [4][254], Even while the Molina brothers still lived in the United States playing professional baseball, their parents stayed in the same home near the park where the brothers grew up playing ball, Jess Rivera Park. [202], Molina finished the 2021 season batting .252/.297/.370 with 11 home runs and 66 RBIs over 121 games and again had the slowest sprint speed of all major league catchers, at 22.6 feet/second. [58] For the first time in his career, Molina earned Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) consideration. [255] Benjamn Molina organized youth teams. With Shinnosuke Abe batting for Japan in the top of the eighth inning, and Hirokazu Ibata on second and Seiichi Uchikawa on first, J. C. Romero was pitching for Puerto Rico. While accumulating 39 mult-hit games, the Cardinals won 27 of them. [39], The first multi-error game of Molina's career occurred July 13 against the Philadelphia Phillies on a catch and throw. He doubled and scored on David Eckstein's go-ahead single on his way to three hits in a June 12 defeat of the New York Yankees, 53. [37], Batting out of the number-five spot in the batting order for the first time in his career on Opening Day, 2007, Molina collected two hits. [125] However, Brad Weimer, the advertisement's creator, confirmed the humor was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. Molina threw out pinch runner Josh Harrison attempting to steal second base in the eighth inning to help the Cardinals preserve a 21 lead. That three-hit game also gave Molina 78 for his career, tied for 43 on the all-time list for catchers. Yadi needs to find out how they work. He stroked a broken-bat single to shallow center field in the bottom of the ninth inning against the New York Mets. He finished tied for 23rd with Miguel Tejada with one percent of the vote share. He reported to spring training having lost 15 pounds and in improved physical shape from rehabilitating following knee surgery. He also has a tattoo on each [43] For the season, he successfully caught 35% of opposing baserunners, still higher than the league average of 27%. Molina made his Major League debut on June 3. [35] Former Cardinals starter Jake Westbrook said he was "a part of every aspect of the game: starters, relievers, offense, defense. Yadier Benjamn Molina was born on July 13, 1982, in Bayamn, Puerto Rico, the youngest of three boys to Gladys Matta and Benjamn Molina, Sr. Molina hit a single with two outs in the ninth inning in his last at-bat, with the sellout crowd of 48,515 serenading him with a standing ovation. [197] However, his participation was shadowed by the poor performance of the team,[198] resulting in a sweeping 4-0 series with the Indios de Mayagez. [96] The St. Louis chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) named him the St. Louis Baseball Man of the Year for 2012. Of all catchers in franchise history with at least 450 PA in a season, he became just the second ever, after Simmons, to bat over .300; it was then the fourth-best season batting average; and, his 29 strikeouts were the fewest since Simmons fanned 20 times in 1976.