Former Major League catcher, Puerto Rican Yadier Molina, took over the reins of the Águilas Cibaeñas this Monday in the championship of the Professional Baseball League of the Dominican Republic (Lidom).
Molina replaced Manny García in the Águilas, who at the beginning of the season have lost seven of the nine games played until last weekend, which keeps the team in last place in the standings.
For Molina, with experience as a manager, it will be the first time he assumes that position in Dominican professional baseball.
When making the announcement of Molina’s hiring, the general manager of the Águilas, Ángel Ovalles, indicated that along with the former Puerto Rican receiver, former players from the Cibaeña franchise Rafael Furcal, Carlos Gómez and TJ Peña will be part of the coaching staff.
In addition to Furcal, Gómez and Peña, Molina will have Edgardo Rivera as hitting coach; Kleininger Terán will serve as third base coach and Carlos Adrián Texidor will be in charge of the infield, while Miguel Tejada and Melky Cabrera will continue their work as mentors to the players.
After a career of 19 seasons in the Major Leagues, wearing the jersey of the St. Louis Cardinals, with whom he played 2,224 games behind the plate, the most by a catcher for a team in the history of the majors, and the Led to the conquest of two World Series titles, also collecting nine Gold Glove awards, four Platinum Gloves and a Silver Slugger, as well as 10 selections to the All-Star Game, Molina has developed a successful career as a manager.
The renowned former player native of Bayamón comes from directing the Puerto Rico national team in the last World Baseball Classic and accumulates experience as a manager with the Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League and with the Criollos de Caguas in the Baseball League Professional Roberto Clemente, in his native Puerto Rico.
Now in Dominican baseball, Molina will have the opportunity to face his former teammate with the Cardinals, Albert Pujols, who manages the Leones del Esgido.
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