@@edwardwilliamson1863 I grew up in the heart of St. Louis, Missouri. Yadi will always hold a special place in my heart, He’ll be loved here forever, and I fully expect a Yadier Molina statue outside of Busch in the coming years.
@@Whatdoyouwant904 I would think they would -- they had better. He played his entire career for the Cards. He absolutely deserves that honor and accolade -- and more. He is also one of the smartest players to ever play on the field. He studied hitters and pitchers relentlessly. He was disciplined and observant and aware of everything going on on that field. He is also a quality human being.
Yadi is so good the ref’s have no choice but to question what they think they saw. Respect Yadier!! You are a GOAT my friend! Your father was such a wonderful man! He overcame the struggles and hardships in order to make sure each kid in the neighborhood had a chance to play the game, rain or shine 😉
I’m a Phillies fan born and bred. My eyes almost shed a tear for Yadi in last years playoffs against us. You can’t play behind the plate better than this guy. Not just his arm but his ability to block everything, make pitchers games easier and he was the general when he was on the field. Mind and body always in the game. The GOAT at Catcher
the ball makes it to the plate while the runner is still digging to get to second. this man has a cannon and the fact he throws ppl out on his knees is madness
As a catcher myself, Yadi broke the mold. Dude had a cannon for an arm......and more importantly the baseball wisdom on what to do with it in each situation. .....hats off to that guy....he was a joy to watch
@cfmiles I get it yadi is a great player but I haven't seen a catcher throw as many people just leading off as I have pudge! Go back and see for yourself.
His ability to read the field and pick up on cues from the opposing team were 2nd to none. His attention to his surroundings were insane. If you don’t think he belongs in the hall then you just don’t understand baseball.
Best defensive catcher ever, no slouch at the plate, and an absolute leader. Plus spending his entire career with one team. First-ballot HoF, zero doubt about it. I'd love to see him and Pujols go into the Hall at the same time, it'd be entirely appropriate.
No question about it. And he was pretty clutch with the lumber, too. The best catcher I have ever seen behind the plate, and one of the best at the plate, too, particularly in clutch situations. And absolutely one of the most intelligent catchers-- and players ever to grace the diamond. He was also a very intelligent baserunner, and a great leader and mentor for younger players. He was observant; he was aware of every situation, and he was disciplined. He controlled the running game, and he was very much a strategic genius. He loved the game, too, and respected it.
The fact that there is a whole 11 min and 53 sec video speaks volumes on how great Yadier Molina is. Best catcher ever. Accuracy, power, timing, awareness you name it.
Every highlight reel is always his later career moments, but missing some of the iconic ones from his early to mid career that made him a legend, like when he caught Ian Kinsler stealing in the 2011 WS.
In the last 40+ years I have watched some great catchers Yadier Molina is on his own level when it comes to IQ and throwing arm...I think he dares the other teams to try before the games just for fun lol
There's a difference between how Yadi and Pudge get baserunners out. Pudge was all power but his placement was all over the place. The basemen would have to do more work to get the tag over to the runner so his punchouts were much closer. Yadi takes a but of velocity off the throws but his placement is spot on, usually right in the path of the runner so slot of these aren't even close. The baserunner often runs back to the dugout before the ump even gestures the out.
Molina was to StL catchers what Bob Gibson was to StL pitchers and Ozzie was to shortstops. Gutsy, talented, intimidating. Best catcher of all time IMO.
Two things. 1. I can watch highlights of Yadi all day. 2. If he isn't first round HOF, I'm going to do my Albert Puljos impersonation and the selection committee heads will be the ball. 😅
There is & MAY NEVER be a finer cut of a laser precision, 1ST Time Ballot Hall-of-Famer, who was truly blessed from behind the plate, as his performance was more an artistic masterpiece, day after day, as this man was truly blessed with a FREAKIN CANNON for an arm. No finer catcher to use his God given talent to get his team off the field and back in the dugout, so for all you youthful players who are down with doing the dirty work from behind the plate, look no further for a model of who simply was THE BEST player to gear up behind the plate. 🍻🇺🇸🙏🏼🇺🇸🍻
Every runner with an inflated sense of grandeur wanted to be one of the few who swiped a bag on Yadi... It was the challenge of challenges. It is also why there were so few attempts. I'd love to know the wild stats like who was caught stealing the most by Yadi, most attempts on Yadi (team or player) etc...
