Reviews
Molina: The Story of the Father Who Raised an Unlikely Baseball Dynasty by Bengie Molina, Joan Ryan
pjkerrison's review against another edition
5.0
I loved it. I absolutely loved it. I cannot wait to make the time to write about why. But for now I will simply say I loved it. Here is one reason: family. Here is another: humility. Here is a third: Baseball.
tomaind's review
5.0
I love baseball, my favorite team is the St. Louis Cardinals & my favorite player is Catcher Yadier Molina. In fact, as I'm writing this review, I am wearing my "This Girl Loves Yadi" hoodie! This book was so much more than I expected. Written by the oldest of the three Molina sons, Bengie Molina, this book was mostly about their Pai (Benjamin Molina Sr.) and how he raised an unlikely Baseball Dynasty of three sons all making the Major Leagues. All three Molina boys were Catchers and all three were on winning World Series teams.
This book was about so much more than just baseball. This is a story about perseverance, commitment, pride, the love of the game, but most of all, this is a story about family. I learned so much about the role a catcher plays in the game and the bond between pitchers & the catcher. This book really made me understand the connection that Yadier Molina and Adam Wainright have with each other. I loved the little tidbits about Yadier. There were times this book had me laughing out loud (Yadi's antics as a child) and the last few chapters I had to read through tears.
I usually don't keep my books after I've read them, but this one I am holding onto. I hope to be in Cooperstown when Yadi is inducted into the Hall of Fame. I would love to have the book autographed by him. It would be amazing if I could get it autographed by all three Molina brothers!
This book was about so much more than just baseball. This is a story about perseverance, commitment, pride, the love of the game, but most of all, this is a story about family. I learned so much about the role a catcher plays in the game and the bond between pitchers & the catcher. This book really made me understand the connection that Yadier Molina and Adam Wainright have with each other. I loved the little tidbits about Yadier. There were times this book had me laughing out loud (Yadi's antics as a child) and the last few chapters I had to read through tears.
I usually don't keep my books after I've read them, but this one I am holding onto. I hope to be in Cooperstown when Yadi is inducted into the Hall of Fame. I would love to have the book autographed by him. It would be amazing if I could get it autographed by all three Molina brothers!
kcb263's review against another edition
5.0
Well, I am an unabashed Molina fan now. Great stories and lessons I'm this book.
aswhitesell's review against another edition
5.0
This is the story of an unlikely baseball dynasty, The Catching Molinas. But it is so much more. It's about family, pride, perseverance. Working hard, setting goals, and reaching them. So many life lessons. Bengie Molina found a wonderful coauthor, and this has become an instant favorite of mine.
terryliz's review against another edition
5.0
What can I say? Despite not being an athlete, I love sports stories. This one is a loving tribute by Bengie Molina to his father Benjamin Molina. It has all the background details I like to know such as what it's like to grow up poor and how much hard work went into achieving success. Bengie tells of his homesickness when he first went to play college ball in the states and that he mistakenly thought he was going to Florida when actually he was going to Arizona. He tells of the trials of learning English and the triumph when it all started making sense. He writes of the lessons he learned from his father about never quitting and that your teammates are your family. And he candidly shares that he always was looking for his father's approval even though he knew his father loved him.
I listened to the audio version of this book which was read by a native Spanish speaker, so I thought it was rather musical to listen to. I laughed out loud and cried at the end. Highly recommend.
I listened to the audio version of this book which was read by a native Spanish speaker, so I thought it was rather musical to listen to. I laughed out loud and cried at the end. Highly recommend.
mardiggity's review against another edition
5.0
After seeing Bengie Molina at the library Monday I couldn't wait to read the book. A great story of a family's love and support. I couldn't put it down. Well written the stories painted a great picture of Puerto Rico, how hard it is to become a major leaguer and a parent's love and dedication to their family.
ineffablebob's review
5.0
Excellent biography of Bengie Molina (the MLB catcher) with a ton of background on his father Benjamin and the rest of his family. Plenty of baseball stories for those who follow the game, but even those with no real interest in baseball would enjoy the family relationships.
More...