Cheo Molina: “If Yadier plays, it would be great”

From the serve, Yadier Molina does not plan to play this 2021-2022 season in the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Lbprc), with the Carolina Giants.

“Not at all,” the star receiver of the San Luis Cardinals answered in one direction to questions from THE SPOKESMAN some days ago.

But for his brother and Giants manager, José “Cheo” Molina, the Yadier case “is a little bit special”.

“Yadier can tell me no and overnight he says, ‘Hey, let’s play and forget about the rest.’ As he did last year, he even played in the Caribbean Series and I told him he was crazy, ”said the second of the three Molina Matta brothers with laughter.

“But, I do not know if he will be able to play,” he clarified. “I told him it would be great if he at least took a few turns and played the playoffs. It would be excellent”.

Yadier returned to the winter league last year when he joined the Manati Athenians’ ninth, piloted by his brother Cheo. The winner of nine Golden Gloves – who is a Carolina reserve – had not played in Puerto Rico since the 2012 season. 13.

Yadier ended up reinforcing the Criollos de Caguas in the Caribbean Series played in Mexico.

“I know for sure that he will be around here (at the Roberto Clemente Walker Stadium) because this is his home. Here he won two championships. We always talk about that issue, when Carolina beat Ponce (in the 2005-06 season), I was playing Ponce. Iche Santiago threw us ten innings to zero. And we always talk about it, ”Cheo commented.

Yadier, 39, signed this year for one more season with St. Louis and it will be the last of his long career. The stellar Doradeño catcher will go on his 19th season.

Despite this, Cheo said that he never closes the doors to the possibility of seeing his brother play on the island because “it is not known what might happen.”

“Our guys are ready to win and when he (Yadier) sees that the team is winning I know that he is going to do something for people to come and see him play and the Carolina team,” he said.

“Today maybe it is no, but tomorrow it may be yes. Let me talk to him and see how I can convince him. If he plays, it would be great. He knows that his participation would be very great. I always favor the Major League Baseball player who plays in Puerto Rico. Countless ‘hall of famers’ played in this league and when they went to the United States, they were better players, “said the coach.

Cheo indicated that “I would like the Puerto Rican player who is in the Major Leagues to play for at least two or three weeks because that will help the league and the fans of Puerto Rico to come to the park.”

“That is my message. I am proud that my brother did that last year. Not that he pitched. Of course, he told me that if he came he had to be the team’s ‘closer’ ”, added Cheo, starting with laughter. “But we hope that God can participate with us,” he said.