But it's not with the Rangers or Cardinals, two
teams he once thought he might play for this season. It's to support
baby brother Yadier, the Cardinals’ All-Star catcher who had three hits
in Monday's Game 5 and has driven in five runs in the Series — a team
record for a catcher.
"It's a little weird because I was here
last year playing for the Rangers and all of a sudden here's my brother
trying to beat them," Bengie Molina said. "It's kind of a weird feeling
but I'm behind Yadi 100 percent and I want him to win it.
"I
know what all they went through all year. It's not easy to be here. It
wasn't easy for them and it will be great, it will be awesome if they
win."
Between Bengie, Yadier and middle brother Jose, there
already are five World Series rings in the Molina family. Bengie and
Jose won the 2002 Series together with the Angels. Yadier joined the
gang when the Cardinals won in 2006. Jose won a second ring with the
Yankees in 2009, and Bengie earned his second ring last year after
playing part of the season with the Giants.
It's the third
straight season a Molina brother has participated in the World Series.
But it's a different experience for Jose, who wore Yadier’s No. 4
Cardinals shirt and enjoyed a beer while watching Game 5 from the stands
in Texas.
"It's awesome just to have the chance to see him
play," Jose said. "I love to see him play, even on TV and stuff. It's
unbelievable to watch him from the stands. Just to spend time with him
because he always supports us and everything we do, so it's just awesome
to be here to support him."
Watching his brother play from
the stands is nothing new for Bengie. But after coming close to signing
with the Cardinals to be his brother’s backup last winter, the
experience is a somewhat bittersweet one.
Bengie, 37, and the
Cardinals had serious discussions around last year’s winter meetings,
and he thought they were close enough that a deal would get done.
"That
night I started crying for my dad and I said, 'Man I'm going to play
with my brother,'" Bengie said. "I went out and bought a Cardinals hat. I
was very excited."
But the two sides weren't able to come to an
agreement and Bengie decided to retire. He made a handful of trips to
St. Louis this year to see Yadier play and to Toronto to see Jose play
with the Blue Jays. And Bengie, Jose and the rest of the Molina family
will be in the stands Wednesday night for Game 6.
"This is the
ultimate,” Bengie said. “Nobody thought that the St. Louis Cardinals
were going to be around here at the World Series. This is something
special for them and I think they can do it.
"We are very proud of him. All of us."
