"Oh Seung-hwan's life catcher" Molina appointed a special advisor to STL president "Like Choo Shin-soo"... Help design catcher training system

*This content was translated by AI.

"Oh Seung-hwan's benefactor" Yadier Molina (44) will take a special position after retiring from the St. Louis Cardinals.

The St. Louis Cardinals announced on the 22nd (Korea Standard Time) that Molina will return to the club's staff for the first time in three years. The location is a special assistant to Chime Bloom, president of baseball operations.

"Molina will guide Cardinals catchers and minor league catchers and help design player development programs," MLB.COM, the official website of Major League Baseball (MLB), said.

Special aides such as owners or presidents are still not common in the Major League Baseball (MLB), but they are also a position where cases can be found. It is a method that mainly provides a place for retired legend players from the team to play a special role, although not a regular position.

Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki, 53, played for the Seattle Mariners and "alien" Pedro Martinez for the Boston Red Sox. There are various methods, such as transferring know-how to the team during off-season training or providing direct advice to high-ranking teams such as recruiting players.

The advantages and limitations are clear. The advantage is that you can operate freely. In Korea, Choo Shin-soo (44) is serving as an assistant to the owner of SSG after retirement, and at the same time, he can play as a manager in the Channel A baseball entertainment show "Queen Yeo-gu." In addition, Choo Shin-soo played the role of general manager of the club's development. Taking advantage of MLB's experience, it is playing a role in building a system to grow more prospects. In addition, it also plays a role in helping the owner understand the management of the club and giving necessary advice.

Molina is a player who is good enough to take on this role. For 19 years until 2022, he played in St. Louis alone and played a total of 2,226 games. He hit .277 with 176 home runs and 1022 RBIs, and he also followed the batting, but he was more capable as a catcher. He is a legendary catcher who is considered perfect in every aspect of his ability as a catcher, including overwhelming pitcher leads, steal stops, and port and framing.

He has won two World Series championships and has been selected as many as 10 times as an All-Star. The National League catcher Gold Glove won nine times and also won the Platinum Glove four times for only one of the best defenders in the league that year.

Oh Seung-hwan, a "stone Buddha" who retired last year, also spent two seasons with St. Louis, writing 7 wins, 9 losses, 39 saves and 21 holds, helped greatly by Molina. "I've met a lot of good catchers. I met Jin Gap-yong from the beginning, Yadier Molina from overseas, and Kang Min-ho from overseas. I was lucky. I think I've benefited more than pitching," he said, expressing his heart to Molina.

President Bloom said, "We sincerely welcome Molina back to the Cardinals," adding, "He is a top contender, a steady winner, and one of the best players of all time in the catcher position."

"I expect you to contribute a lot while you're with us in a new role, whether you're wearing a uniform or not. "Molina will offer his opinions on the catcher program, provide coaching staff advice on catcher and game strategy, and provide valuable insight to me and the front office from his unique perspective," Molina said. "Most importantly, he will help develop the high standards, meticulousness and championship spirit that are essential to winning for his players."

Molina will serve as the coach of the national team of Puerto Rico at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March. MLB.COM predicted that he will appear at St. Louis' spring camp in Florida.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.