Always thinking ahead, Yadi reflects on his future

By César Augusto Márquez

He’s not done yet. But like any good- catcher, Yadier Molina is always thinking ahead and strategizing. Retirement still seems to be far away for the youngest of the Molina brothers, who has bounced back from his his May 6 injury that cost him a month on the field.

Ever the strategist, Yadi spent part of this past off-season thinking about his future in baseball once he hangs up the mask and the glove.

“I think I’m still learning. I cannot say that I already have enough experience, because I only managed a few games, something that helped me put my knowledge of the game to the test and to continue growing in that role,” Molina said alluding to his experience as manager of the sub-23 selection of Puerto Rico during the Pan American Baseball tournament last December. He guided the Puerto Rican team to a third place finish and a ticket to the World Cup to be held this year in Nicaragua.

“It was definitely a good experience in which I had my brother, José, and a very knowledgeable man like José Oquendo, I think one of the most interesting things that I experienced at that time was that I managed a group of young guys very talented, that reminded me of the time in which my generation took its first steps,” added Molina in an interview with La Vida Baseball earlier this season.

Yadi, who has a guaranteed contract for the next two seasons, passed Johnny Bench in 16th place all time in games behind the plate (1,743) and this year reached having the third longest streak as a starter in opening day games (14) for the Cardinals. “Right now I’m here, focused on my career as a player and in the future we’ll see,” he said about his expectations at this time.

José Oquendo, veteran third base coach of the Cardinals and Manager of the Puerto Rico National Team in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic, has had time to observe Yadier inside the clubhouse and highlights leadership as one of his virtues.

“If I had to say at this moment, which player I see with the most potential to lead in the big leagues in the future, I would say Yadier, because of his knowledge of the game, his study, he’s a person who is always open to ask questions. But above all, I think that his leadership is fundamental, so that in the future he can occupy that position with some team,” Oquendo said in Spanish when speaking to La Vida.

Oquendo’s opinion is similar to that of Edwin Rodríguez, who was the first Puerto Rican to serve as a permanent manager in the Major Leagues and who also managed los rubios to second place in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

“From that group that I managed, there are two men that we will see as managers in the Major Leagues and of the national team in the future, Yadier Molina and Carlos Beltrán.”

“In the case of Yadi, I think that his personality has helped him to understand the game and his influence over the other players are very important. He has started to follow a path that will eventually lead him to be a manager, “Rodriguez said in a telephone interview in Spanish. “Maybe in the next edition of the World Baseball Classic (2021) some of them will be in charge of the selection of Puerto Rico,” he added.

Yadier’s leadership is something that can be seen inside the Cardinals clubhouse, where he has developed a good bond with other Latinos on the team such as the Venezuelan José Martínez and the Dominican Marcell Ozuna.

“Yadi has been someone very important to me since I joined the team, because he is an experienced figure, but also someone very humble,” Martínez shared. “Last year I organized a baseball clinic for boys from La Guaira (Vargas state in, Venezuela), where I am from. And Yadi came to help me, and that speaks of his human quality but also of his leadership outside the field .”

Leadership is the word that stands out in all the portrayals of Yadier. However, in the era of advanced statistics, the use of metrics is also a factor to be taken into account when evaluating a possible managerial candidate. What type of leader is considered to be the fit for a team manager?

When asked if he takes stats and advanced metrics into account as a catcher and future manager, Yadi reflected on his upbringing in the game.

“I come from a baseball family. All my life, from when I was a little boy, my dad taught me how to play hardball. My brothers played hard in the big leagues for many years and that is the game I know. That’s my philosophy as a player and it is the one that I have applied the times that I have managed. The statistics are important, but also it is also about going out to play ball.”

Featured Image: Kirk Irwin / Getty Images Sport