It’s hard not to like Rangers’ catcher Bengie Molina.
He’s a throw back player. He’s classy. He’s a consummate professional. He wants to catch all 162 games and he would never tell his manager that he wasn’t available to play. He’s also a competitor and he’s been around long enough to know how the business side works in baseball.
That’s why he didn’t complain when the Giants traded him to the Rangers on June 30 for reliever Chris Ray and a player to be named later. Molina was well aware that the Giants wanted to bring up rookie phenom Buster Posey as soon as the youngster got more experience calling games in the minors. The trade didn’t surprise him, nor did he express any ill will towards the Giants.
And why should he? His time in San Francisco was well served. For most of his three and a half years in the “City by the Bay,” he was the club’s best hitter. When the Mets eventually decided to pull an offer to him off the table this past offseason, the Giants welcomed him back with open arms but both parties knew that once Posey was ready, Molina would be out.
Now Molina is prospering for a Texas team that is making its first World Series appearance ever. He’s currently hitting .333 in the postseason with two home runs, seven RBI and 10 at bats. He also somehow has a stolen base, which is probably even more impressive than the .333 average if you know Molina’s speed (or lack of it, that is).
Of course, things have worked out for the Giants, too. Posey has met and/or exceeded expectations and their pitching staff hasn’t missed a beat (outside of a rough August) since he took over. For a rookie catcher to come in and call games for one of the best pitching staffs in baseball is remarkable. He’s being considered for rookie of the year honors and had the Giants called him up sooner, he probably would be a shoe-in for the award.
In a major twist of irony, Molina will have an opportunity to beat his former team in the World Series. He was a member of the World Champion Angels team that beat the Giants in 2002 and while he still considers many of his old teammates friends, there’s no doubt that he would love to break the hearts of San Francisco fans again.
Either way, he’s going to get a ring – even if the Giants win. While he would be disappointed if his ring had a SF logo on it, he would still be deserving of the honor. That speaks to Molina’s character and proves that what goes around, comes around.
