ST LOUIS, MO – AUGUST 29: Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals throws against the Cleveland Indians at Busch Stadium on August 29, 2020 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
Baserunners have all learned the hard way in time — don’t run on Yadier Molina.
Molina is one of the best defensive catcher of his time, and is surely on his way to Cooperstown come the end of his miraculous career with the St. Louis Cardinals. However, sometimes the numbers do more justice than Molina’s player on the field. Catcher can be an overlooked position and Molina is no exception.
As a nine-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glove winner, two-time World Series champion and a silver slugger to his name, Yadi’s statline can match up against pretty much anyone. Yet, it’s the fear of opposing baserunners that he arguably takes the most pride in.
Don’t steal on Yadier Molina, even if he dares you to
In this week’s grapefruit league action, Molina had some fun at the Houston Astros’ expense. The 38-year-old dared Houston non-roster invitee Jose Siri to try to steal on him. The result was hilarious yet predictable, with Yadi throwing out Siri by a solid margin.
This was just a few pitches after Siri was nearly picked off first base by Molina. Upon noticing that Siri had the nerve to take a sizable lead against him, Yadi pointed to second base, thus challenging him to make an honest attempt to swipe a bag.
Molina threw out about 45 percent of potential base-stealers last year, a staggering number for someone of his advanced age. With that kind of ability behind the plate, any offensive production from the dish is merely a bonus for the Cards.