With all the success of Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman and the struggles of Albert Pujols getting most of the writers’ ink, one of the least-recognized contributors to the St. Louis Cardinals’ early-season success in 2011 has been Yadier Molina. It is sometimes forgotten that this is the catcher’s seventh season as a major league regular.
In terms of offensive results, this is the 28-year-old’s best start yet, as measured by both counting and rate stats – hits and doubles, along with batting average, slugging percentage and OPS. His home run count of three ties his best 43-game total and his RBI total is second-most.
The negatives are few. Molina’s walks are down, which reduces his on-base percentage compared to other seasons, and his ground into double play total is his highest yet.
Molina’s heavy workload and late-season injuries have been ongoing topics of concern in recent years. This came to light again the other night as Molina appeared to injure his knee in a home plate collision, but he remained in the game.
As measured by plate appearances, the addition of veteran starting catcher Gerald Laird has led to a slight reduction in Molina’s workload this season compared to the previous two years. Molina’s 142 PAs through 43 games in 2011 was identical to 2008 and considerably more than he logged in his first three years as a starter.
Researcher Tom Orf pulled the following table of Molina’s aggregate stats through the Cardinals’ first 43 games in each of his seven seasons. They are listed in order of the catcher’s games played.
Yadier Molina, through St. Louis Cardinals game #43, 2005-11
| Year | GP | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP |
| 2009 | 38 | 151 | 130 | 37 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 0.285 | 0.361 | 0.400 | 0.761 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 2010 | 38 | 153 | 137 | 36 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 12 | 17 | 0.263 | 0.333 | 0.358 | 0.691 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| 2011 | 37 | 142 | 129 | 40 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 9 | 13 | 0.310 | 0.350 | 0.457 | 0.807 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 2008 | 36 | 142 | 126 | 38 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 15 | 5 | 0.302 | 0.373 | 0.397 | 0.770 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 2005 | 34 | 128 | 119 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 0.227 | 0.258 | 0.277 | 0.535 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 | 34 | 130 | 119 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 0.160 | 0.217 | 0.202 | 0.419 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 2007 | 34 | 126 | 112 | 33 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 0.295 | 0.360 | 0.366 | 0.726 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
bold = career bests in 2011
In the just-completed Houston series, the Cardinals catching success continued as Molina went 3-for-4 on Wednesday, improving his 2011 line to .323/.361/.466. Laird got the start on Thursday afternoon and contributed a crucial two-run double in the Cards’ 4-2 win.
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I hope Yadi can keep it up. I would like to see him make the AST this year, but with his defense down this year, he will have to make it up with O. Since he appears healthy, I wonder what accounts for his lower D? He isn’t blocking balls as well and his SB are up. I assume his pitcher management skills have not diminished considering the performance of our pitchers.
I thought about going into the pitchers. Lohse, McClellan, Garcia and Salas are having great years. Carpenter and Franklin are not. Westbrook looks to be putting it together after a rough start.
Overall, the Cards team ERA is sixth-best in the NL at 3.51. The team ERA last season was almost identical at 3.57. IMHO, doing that without Waino and Carp not producing is pretty impressive. I don’t know how much of that to credit to Molina, but overall it is a good thing as you noted.
Things like velocity and command obviously Molina has no control over, but to the extent pitch selection has played a part in pitcher performance, I think Molina can be given credit for that. I haven’t seen our guys shake him off much.
Laird is doing more than “give him more time off”……….. Hitting at the back side of the Holiday/Berkman pitch-around hasn’t been so bad either. He is noticeably swinging better situationally off late…………there is a direct constellation between AP’s “better frame of mind” and his recent success I’d wager. He has called a few brilliant games lately………and that isn’t about the pitcher looking good or having good stuff……its about the hitters looking stupid. That is a true gift I think……….. Its allot like playing poker. Everyone gets lucky sometimes catching Cards. Skilled players adjust, and will always surface over a period of time. Molina has helped this last week.
“Correlation” works for me ……at times………………….
Can anyone explain this article to me? They lost me at “below the waistline” and “his fingers smell like omelets” and I don’t know if the purported quote by TLR is real or not. I guess this is all a joke? Was there any development on a contract?
http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/pujols_close_to_sealing_deal_as_cardinals_let_him_move_the_3rd_base/4741550
Um, yes. That was an inappropriate joke article. If you really desire explanation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_metaphors_for_sex
Boys will be boys.
You have to be carefull with those Yardbarker blogs.
Crazy. Didn’t think about it that way. It was linked from Fox Sports Cardinals site. They should put a warning up
I still don’t get it
Don’t want to
The voting on the stltoday article on biggest surprise has Albert’s poor performance at the top. Followed by Fit Elvis, the Kyles and Salas.
Not included in the discussion was Descalso. A rook breaking in is tough enough, breaking in as almost an everday third baseman when you’re not a third baseman is someting.
Some might be less surprised by Descalso since he did the same thing last September. A short preview.
Then again, had Punto not been hurt (the first time), Descalso would likely have opened the season in Memphis.
Danny D. is a gritty kid. If he was wise, he would start hitting like a 2nd baseman all the time. He appears tempted to try to fill the traditional roll of 3rd base power hitter at times, possibly to his detriment. His value I think is being recognized by the league. It will not just disappear when his time is up……..really just because of his stature. He will get his chance if he keeps his average up…..takes a walk……..swings a pitches in the Zone…….most importantly, take a pitch where it has a future.
Know matter what Skip does, save hit 325 and become the lead off man………. isn’t going to get him resigned here. Kosma has a nice approach at the plate………he is destined to become a 2nd baseman I think……..
John Jay has found a niche of late……………give him the job and he can’t do it………….when he tries to bring attention to his aspirations to be a regular player…….he is formidable. The phenomena is one of the most unusual, and yet prevalent in baseball. Its tough to keep a level head………the failures are like grains of sand.
It seems like Greene has made a career out of not taking advantage of opportunity. Quite an accomplishment when you think about it.
First-pitch swinging in that situation was terrible.
So then he fails to hit behind the runner. As does Descalso. Pitiful.
You guys aren’t talking about the base loaded double play roller are you???????????? and now the base running…………..using AP’s personal crib notes……………… No one has discipline or rules of any kind it would seem…………………….AL lineup…….and Yadi is 6th????????????? Tony is a freak.
Considering recent performance, Yadi 6th makes way more sense than Albert 3rd.
I wish Tyler well in his future endeavors.
We just don’t look like a team………….especially with an appetite……… I find nothing inspirational about Greene’s swing…..or Craigs……Colby appears to be absorbed with failed long ball attempts………
Greene’s AB are a nightmare of deteriorating adjustments that leave him with dung when they are played out…………….and everyone knows it……..he gets the same pitch sequence every time….from everybody…………same results……..
Total misplay by Colby………he never went to speed……..he acted like he was measuring the whole time.
Poor Carpenter……….he looks old…………. every KC hitter swings at the ball like they are BPlayers. Miller looks tentative…..if he sees Hosmer…..were in trouble.
First pitch hitting by Hosmer was ill advised……Miller was struggling………. they can hit a fly with the bases loaded………
Carpenter is on the down side of his career. He is a good 4 or 5 starter and that is OK as we have Garcia, Lohse and McClellan as the top 3. Albert is not on the down side of his career and if any manager would bat him anything other than 3rd myself and most would say they are an idiot!
There is nothing unusual about taking a guy in an extensive slump and moving him around the order to get him some different looks. It is a tried and true time honored slump busting strategy which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t.
I can see where some might think its not the way to try busting Albert out of it, but what makes those who whould try it idiots? Seems like nothing but a difference of opinion to me. I am in favor of moving him around and putting a hotter bat in the 3 spot until he comes around to his old self.
I don’t think LB was suggesting that you were a fool BB. He was just saying that he likes AP to bat 3rd on his ball club.
AP is making adjustments……………. he has to at this point……… but you will notice that even has he stays back……takes the ball deeper……and tries to stay closed…….he isn’t able to accelerate enough to hit it out that way……..his bottom half still not supporting him…………..
The truth………..of you put a brown bag over his head……..and could hide his trademark crouch…..he wouldn’t even be in the big leagues…………….. how many KC hitters failed to hit a fly ball when they needed one……….how many got pulled forward and beat the ball into the ground for money……..brown bag Greene of Craig……they cut them the first day…….and that is the truth…..
Frankie pitched it exactly to Dave’s specs………and they crushed it……..of they weren’t such discipled line drive hitters…….they would have tattered…….. Tony knows Mo has to reestablish Franklin in order to enable Mo to bail salary……..he appears to be trying………all teams scouts are watching, evaluating how they might approach him differently………if somebody feels confident, they will enquirer and he will be gone the same day…………. Frankie was very focused today, very mindful, very calculating………….. its no longer enough. He is adrenal shot………. VGAddiction……..IMO of course..
I want Albert 3rd on my team too, just not right now.
Bernie and Strauss were talking about it today, and Bernie may have an article Sunday. About the different possibilities explaining Albert’s season, and how it affects things this winter.
I hear the checkbooks slamming shut. Except Hendry, he’s ready to whip it out.
Colby looks at a dream pitch with 2 strikes…………………………………because he was looking for special pitch? Thats a mystery………………………
Pujols bullied that walk………… the guy bailed on 4 straight pitches………….. fastball to Holiday was a nice pitch………. had some juice on that piggy…….. there is no team interaction that I can see……..
Its Frankie…………………. with the mop
Nice scoreless inning by Frankie………………….. I can smell the horsehide burning all the way out here. What? are they barbecuing pony out there.
Yadi goes for the “Big Fly”………………first win for Francis since last July………. and if AP had hit a homer, Yadi and Albert would have been popping champagne corks………….. that is an embarrassing loss….
Keep in mind………..this team is capable of a sweep……….. we had no Berkman to embarrass our professionals………….
Colby looked sick out there. On both O and D. I’ve mentioned before, he’s one of those guys that looks extra bad when he’s bad.
Carp pitched a lot of games with Jimmy out there, and a hot middle infield. He’s suffering same as Franky. Not letting them smoke it isn’t enough anymore.
Sad to see Miller come in and walk the lefty. Again.
Good news. Albert has pulled ahead of Nick Punto in doubles. He’s tied with Theriot.
Colby was just playing the role tonight…………poorly I must admit……… we are all seeing to much Greene and Craig……… we’ve had Nick and Lance to get these guys motivated……… Westbrooke may well get shelled by this team……..they hit it hard….nice swing planes……he needs to be on his game.
Carp suffered without run support again…….he just looses energy/enthusiasm.
Carp suffered from lack of both run support and defensive support. He basically got shelled by his own team. Not even Cy Young would have an answer for that. He sounded very frustrated in postgame.
Also in postgame, Tony usually will defend his player, but when asked about Colby’s half ass flop in center he just said ask Colby.
Colby made a mistake tonight. Its one he often makes though. He was gliding, never running. If he hustles, with the intension of slowing to make the catch, he doesn’t even have to dive. He drifted, as did the ball, when he realized he was coming up short, he remembered his abdominal issues, and embarrassingly made a half —’d dive. It looked bad.
Upon a reevaluation of this……….he was moving pretty good. The actual distance he traveled at speed actually seemed to be his concern…..whether he was actually ranging into someone else’s territory. If Holiday would have been in, he probably wouldn’t have bothered to look……..knowing that it was his or no ones.
Center fielders job is to catch anything he can. Run flat out. Corner outfielders job is to stay out of the way. Colby thinks a pro doesn’t call for it, use two hands, that sort of kid stuf. Worry about if the other guy is doing his job instead of doing his. Tony was pissed afterwards. Rightly so. He probably needs to transition to corner OF. He’d make more money over the long term.
Well pitched game from Carpenter, a great pitcher. Too much LHP Francis. We missed Berkman, our 2011 star. Get well soon, Lance! Help us thrash these Royals.