No Secret for Yadi Molina – Just Work Bernie Miklasz StLouis PostDispatch March 6, 2014 JUPITER, Fla. • Shelby Miller has a theory on Yadier Molina’s brilliance as a catcher. Sure, Molina has abundant talent like the quick arm he uses as a whip to strike down base-stealing thieves. He’s devoted to preparation and has a legendary work ethic. Intelligence? Well, Molina’s mind is even more imposing than his arm. But there’s something else … What’s the secret? When you watch a Cardinals game on TV this season, and the camera zooms in for a view from above center field, follow Molina’s eyes. He’ll be looking up. His head will cock slightly to the side. His eyes will be taking a furtive glance at the hitter. “It’s almost like he can look right into a hitter’s soul,” Miller said Wednesday after making his first spring start. “And Yadier knows what to do with that. He stares at the hitter, and you can see him thinking. ‘What pitch can’t you hit right now.’ And if he calls the pitch, then you know that’s got to be the one. You throw it, and it works. He’s thinking the entire game. He’s aware of everything that’s going on. “I would say he’s the smartest player in the game.” When Miller’s observation was relayed to Molina, baseball’s best catcher laughed. That’s because Miller’s comment reminded Yadi of an exchange he had with Arizona’s Martin Prado during last year’s World Baseball Classic. Molina was catching for his native Puerto Rico. And when Prado, competing for Venezuela, stepped into the batter’s box, Molina’s eyes would turn into laser beams. Prado felt it. He was distressed. “What Shelby said was funny, because Prado told me the same thing during the World Classic,” Molina said. “Every time he was up he said, ‘Don’t look at me, stop looking at me, don’t try to read me, don’t read my mind.’ It is funny.” “It comes with preparation you do before the game,” Molina said. “I spend so many hours watching the video of the other team’s starting lineup, seeing what I can learn. I’m just doing my job.” So Molina is not looking into a hitter’s soul. “I don’t think so,” he said, laughing. “It’s the work. The preparation.” Molina was a young catcher of 21 when he made his debut as Mike Matheny’s backup for the 2004 Cardinals, who won 105 games and the NL pennant. In this balmy Florida spring of 2014, Molina is 31 and the most respected catcher in the game. And he’s already among the most acclaimed catchers in baseball history. Molina has won the Gold Glove for defense for six consecutive years, he’s been chosen to play in the All-Star Game for five years running, and he’s caught more innings than anyone except A.J. Pierzynski since 2004. Molina’s catcher ERA of 3.71 ranks No. 1. His work with young pitchers is a valuable element in their success; last October the Cardinals set a major-league record for most innings pitched by rookies in a postseason. Molina’s throw-out rate of 44.5 percent since he came to St. Louis in 2004 is the best among big-league catchers. Oh … and in his spare time, Molina studies more game video than an NFL coach, runs strategy meetings, scripts detailed scouting reports, maps the daily plan of attack for every Cardinals pitcher, calls every pitch, adjusts his fielders’ positioning, makes visits to the mound, finesses the strike zone by framing pitches, goes to the mound to calm young pitchers, shouts instructions and encouragement to veteran pitchers. And if that isn’t enough, over the past three seasons Molina has turned into quite a hitter, with a .313 average, .361 on-base percentage, .481 slugging percentage — and an average of 16 homers, 35 doubles and 74 RBIs per season. But this is what pleases Molina the most: In his 10 seasons with St. Louis the Cardinals have made the postseason seven times, winning four NL pennants and two World Series. Molina has caught 80 postseason games in his career. Ask him about possibly being voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ask him about winning a league MVP award after finishing fourth and third, respectively, in the voting the last two seasons. Ask him about the Gold Gloves, or any individual accolades. Not interested. “It’s hard to get into the Hall of Fame. For me, I don’t like to think about it,” Molina said. “For me, this game is so hard, that if you start thinking about awards, you’re going to get caught up and lose focus. When I wake up each day, I just want to win that day’s game, and help the team any way I can. A good year for me is our team getting to the World Series and winning it.” This is what drives Molina. This is why he works so hard. For a 7 o’clock game, he arrives at the ballpark by 1 p.m. and invests three or four hours scanning video of that night’s opposing hitters to plan a strategy. He passes along his scouting insights to coaches and pitchers. Molina sometimes takes his work home with him after games. He’s married and has two children, but after the house turns quiet, and everyone is sleeping, a restless catcher is stirring. “It’s all about the work. There are no shortcuts. I care about winning. I care about my pitchers. I care about my team. So if I care, I need to work.” Molina also wants to win for Cardinals fans - a factor that motivates him to give his best ... and to be the best. And the fans were a reason he signed a five-year, $75 million contract that runs through 2017. Molina surely could have cashed in for more money by taking his name, and all-around game, to the free agent market. “Maybe, but you want to be at a place where you can be happy with your family,” Molina said. “And every time I play a game in St. Louis, I’m happy. The last 10 years have been truly amazing. The way the fans treat me, even when I was a young player, doing bad, they treated me right. I mean, just for that I decided to stay here. “For me it’s nothing better than being a Cardinal and being in that city. For me it’s as special as it can be. I am having fun there. I love the organization, the team that we have, and the effort they put in every year to try to win. The fans show up for every game, and give you all of the support you could ask for. I don’t think there’s any place like this.” No, Molina really can’t really look into the soul of the hitter. But if you want to see the soul of the Cardinals, then look behind home plate, the special place where Yadier Molina works.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 05:26:36 +0000
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