THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina leads the N.L. All-Star voting at his position. Molina’s defensive prowess has long been known, but what are your thoughts on the plate discipline and production Molina is showing in his at-bats this season?

JOE STRAUSS
Molina is much improved as a hitter over three years ago. But with the exception of a recent 7-game hitting streak, his numbers have lagged since a scalding April (.333, 12 RBI). Molina is an above-average contact hitter but his plate discipline does not translate into walks. Relative to NL catchers, he is a “plus” offensive player. Only 2 NL catchers have scored more than 25 runs, only five have more than 5 home runs and only three have more than 25 RBI. Molina owns 6 extra-base hits and 11 RBI in his 150 at-bats since April, numbers that did not make him a good fit for a recent bump to No. 4 in the order. Many believe Molina could evolve into more of a power threat. However, Molina also carries a heavy load defensively, rarely sitting when healthy. One wonders how that wears on his bat.

DERRICK GOOLD
Molina is a pure contact hitter and that means he gets all the benefits … and drawbacks … of being able to put the bat on the ball even if it sometimes means throwing the bat at it. As a contact hitter Molina is difficult to strike out but his speed also costs him many hits over the course of the season. Saw that Monday as Molina put a ball in play on the ground only to give the fielder ample time to dive, stop, get into throwing position, complete a sodoku puzzle and throw him out. What will truly determine Molina’s success as a hitter — now that he has settled on a stance — is not his speed or his ability to put the ball in play, but his ability to put the ball in play sharply. Struck doesn’t always mean well struck.

JEFF GORDON
This is just the continuation of his development. It is hard to believe this is the same guy who floundered at the plate and constantly changed his stance earlier in his career. He doesn’t have the power of his brother Bengie, so he wisely uses all the fields. That he has become one of the toughest outs in the lineup is a testament to his work ethic and baseball acumen.