Latest news with #YadierMolina
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former All-Star, Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina back in Cardinals dugout as temporary bench coach
A familiar face, and number, is in the St. Louis Cardinals dugout this weekend at Busch Stadium. Former franchise stalwart and dependable backstop Yadier Molina — a 10-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glove winner and two-time World Series champ during his 19-year playing career with the Cardinals — is serving as a temporary bench coach this weekend as St. Louis hosts the rival Chicago Cubs. He did so Friday night during a 5-0, series-opening win, and he'll be back out there again Saturday night. In December 2023, Molina joined the organization as special assistant to president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. That said, due to family reasons, Molina was unable to follow through in that role like he expected, reported, citing the ball club. This weekend marks Molina's first trip to the stadium he called home from 2004-22 since longtime Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainright had his retirement ceremony at the end of the 2023 season. Molina, who reportedly was going to be in town for personal business anyway, reached out to the Cardinals about helping out, and the organization made it happen. Oliver Marmol, who managed Molina in his final Cardinals season, invited the former catcher to join him in the dugout, and Molina gladly accepted the offer. 'The idea is to come here and help the catchers, give them advice and make them better,' Molina said Friday, per 'I just want to be here to help. I'm not coming here to try and make things different. I just want to help the young guys however I can, and I just want to enjoy the game. "I don't miss playing; I miss being at the field. But just being here, and being back in St. Louis, that means a lot to me. In this town, they care about me and care about my family. It's going to be a big night for me, and I'm looking forward to that." Molina, now 43, has more than dabbled in coaching since the iconic catcher retired at 41 years old in 2022. He notably managed Puerto Rico to the quarterfinals of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He's returning to that role for the 2026 WBC. But he said he'll wait at least another year after that before taking a full-time MLB coaching position. 'That's the plan,' Molina said, per The Associated Press. '[My son's] a [high school] senior right now. After he finishes school, that's probably when I start coaching in the major leagues.' While Molina will be with the Cardinals for only 48 hours this weekend, he's interested in contributing at other points of the season, according to possibly as early as two weeks from now during St. Louis' road trip to Florida. The Cardinals have yet to make the playoffs since Molina retired. St. Louis is currently one game above .500 and 4.5 games back from an NL wild-card spot. Molina's presence Friday night coincided with a win. Perhaps his return to the Cardinals' dugout can spark a postseason push.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former All-Star catcher Yadier Molina returns to Cardinals' dugout as temporary coach
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Yadier Molina is returning to the St. Louis Cardinals' dugout this weekend for the first time since his 19-year playing career ended in 2022. The 43-year-old former catcher will be in uniform as a coach for games Friday night and Saturday evening against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. 'I think it will be a good time,' Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. 'It's 48 hours, but even the short period, I mean, we just spent a little bit of time together, but even that in itself was just fun, and for the other guys, too.' Molina didn't hesitate to accept Marmol's invitation to join him on the bench. 'It was great news when Oli invited me,' Molina said. 'I was like, why not go over there, watch some baseball and try to help the team get better? We've got some young guys that really need some experience I can bring and show them. I'm happy to help.' Molina rejoined the organization as a special assistant to president of baseball operations John Mozeliak on Dec. 6, 2023, but had not been at Busch Stadium since attending longtime teammate Adam Wainwright's retirement ceremony at the end of the 2023 season. Molina will manage Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, but said it will be at least a year after that before he considers taking a full-time position as a big league coach. 'That's the plan,' Molina said. 'I'm finished with my son. He's a (high school) senior right now. After he finishes school, that's probably when I start coaching in the major leagues.' With a potential coaching career on the horizon, the 10-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner is staying focused on the present. He will spend a portion of his 48-hour stay in St. Louis working with the team's catchers. 'When I signed with the Cardinals, I always wanted to meet him,' catcher Yohel Pozo said. 'He's my favorite player since I was young, but now that I have him here, it's like, oh my God. It's like a dream come true. Having him here, I talked to him a little bit and the way he talks, the way he expresses is really nice.' The Cardinals have gone 212-228 without qualifying for postseason play since Molina retired, but the longtime catcher believes the future looks bright. 'You've got to go game by game,' Molina said. 'We are in a position we don't like right now. Obviously, we have to play better baseball, but I think we're there. We've got the talent. I'm a fan of this team. I feel that we play the small game really good. We're running the bases really good. The pitchers need to be more stable, but anything can happen. It happened before. We're eight games back. That's nothing.' ___ AP MLB:
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Former All-Star catcher Yadier Molina returns to Cardinals' dugout as temporary coach
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Yadier Molina is returning to the St. Louis Cardinals' dugout this weekend for the first time since his 19-year playing career ended in 2022. The 43-year-old former catcher will be in uniform as a coach for games Friday night and Saturday evening against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. 'I think it will be a good time,' Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. 'It's 48 hours, but even the short period, I mean, we just spent a little bit of time together, but even that in itself was just fun, and for the other guys, too.' Molina didn't hesitate to accept Marmol's invitation to join him on the bench. 'It was great news when Oli invited me,' Molina said. 'I was like, why not go over there, watch some baseball and try to help the team get better? We've got some young guys that really need some experience I can bring and show them. I'm happy to help.' Molina rejoined the organization as a special assistant to president of baseball operations John Mozeliak on Dec. 6, 2023, but had not been at Busch Stadium since attending longtime teammate Adam Wainwright's retirement ceremony at the end of the 2023 season. Molina will manage Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, but said it will be at least a year after that before he considers taking a full-time position as a big league coach. 'That's the plan,' Molina said. 'I'm finished with my son. He's a (high school) senior right now. After he finishes school, that's probably when I start coaching in the major leagues.' With a potential coaching career on the horizon, the 10-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner is staying focused on the present. He will spend a portion of his 48-hour stay in St. Louis working with the team's catchers. 'When I signed with the Cardinals, I always wanted to meet him,' catcher Yohel Pozo said. 'He's my favorite player since I was young, but now that I have him here, it's like, oh my God. It's like a dream come true. Having him here, I talked to him a little bit and the way he talks, the way he expresses is really nice.' The Cardinals have gone 212-228 without qualifying for postseason play since Molina retired, but the longtime catcher believes the future looks bright. 'You've got to go game by game,' Molina said. 'We are in a position we don't like right now. Obviously, we have to play better baseball, but I think we're there. We've got the talent. I'm a fan of this team. I feel that we play the small game really good. We're running the bases really good. The pitchers need to be more stable, but anything can happen. It happened before. We're eight games back. That's nothing.' ___ AP MLB:
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Former All-Star catcher Yadier Molina returns to Cardinals' dugout as temporary coach
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Yadier Molina is returning to the St. Louis Cardinals' dugout this weekend for the first time since his 19-year playing career ended in 2022. The 43-year-old former catcher will be in uniform as a coach for games Friday night and Saturday evening against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. 'I think it will be a good time,' Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. 'It's 48 hours, but even the short period, I mean, we just spent a little bit of time together, but even that in itself was just fun, and for the other guys, too.' Molina didn't hesitate to accept Marmol's invitation to join him on the bench. 'It was great news when Oli invited me,' Molina said. 'I was like, why not go over there, watch some baseball and try to help the team get better? We've got some young guys that really need some experience I can bring and show them. I'm happy to help.' Molina rejoined the organization as a special assistant to president of baseball operations John Mozeliak on Dec. 6, 2023, but had not been at Busch Stadium since attending longtime teammate Adam Wainwright's retirement ceremony at the end of the 2023 season. Molina will manage Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, but said it will be at least a year after that before he considers taking a full-time position as a big league coach. 'That's the plan,' Molina said. 'I'm finished with my son. He's a (high school) senior right now. After he finishes school, that's probably when I start coaching in the major leagues.' With a potential coaching career on the horizon, the 10-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner is staying focused on the present. He will spend a portion of his 48-hour stay in St. Louis working with the team's catchers. 'When I signed with the Cardinals, I always wanted to meet him,' catcher Yohel Pozo said. 'He's my favorite player since I was young, but now that I have him here, it's like, oh my God. It's like a dream come true. Having him here, I talked to him a little bit and the way he talks, the way he expresses is really nice.' The Cardinals have gone 212-228 without qualifying for postseason play since Molina retired, but the longtime catcher believes the future looks bright. 'You've got to go game by game,' Molina said. 'We are in a position we don't like right now. Obviously, we have to play better baseball, but I think we're there. We've got the talent. I'm a fan of this team. I feel that we play the small game really good. We're running the bases really good. The pitchers need to be more stable, but anything can happen. It happened before. We're eight games back. That's nothing.' ___ AP MLB:
Reuters
2 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Yadier Molina to make guest coaching appearance for Cardinals
August 8 - Cardinals legend Yadier Molina will be wearing his familiar No. 4 when he serves Friday and Saturday as a guest coach for St. Louis in a home series against the rival Chicago Cubs. He is doing so at the invitation of manager Oliver Marmol, who extended the offer to Molina when the 10-time All-Star catcher told him he'd be in town for an event and wanted to be involved in some way. Molina, 43, hasn't worn a Cardinals uniform since he retired at the end of the 2022 season. "It's the right thing to do for our players, our staff, and for our fan base," Marmol told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Friday. "I want to have him around. I love the fact that he'll be in the dugout for two days. I think it will be awesome for players and for fans, for all of it, to have him here." Molina played his entire 19-year career with St. Louis and won nine Gold Gloves, four Platinum Gloves and two World Series championships. The experience he gets over two days at Busch Stadium can help him prepare for his job as the manager of Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic next spring. He also was the manager in 2023, and he has said his goal is to manage in the big leagues. Molina appeared in 2,224 games from 2004-22, with 2,184 of them at the catcher position. He hit over .300 five times and ended with a career .277 batting average, 2,168 hits, 176 homers and 1,022 RBIs. He hit .273 in 104 playoff games with four homers and 36 RBIs. On defense, he had a stellar career .995 fielding percentage behind the plate and threw out 40.3 percent of players attempting to steal a base. "I'm looking forward to having him back in uniform. There's a deep respect there, not just for how he sees the game, but for the way he carries himself," Marmol told The Athletic. "Even in just a short window, I know he can leave a lasting impact on our players," he added. "He leads by example, and in his own powerful way, he shows these young guys what's possible when you pour everything you have into the game. That kind of presence, it stays with you." --Field Level Media
