Joey Votto didn’t exactly soothe Reds fans on the day the Cardinals celebrated Yadier Molina.
As St. Louis rolled out its Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Sept. 12, with Albert Pujols, Molina and John Sherdel - the grandson of Bill Sherdel - all delivering emotional speeches in the pregame tribute, Votto chose to weigh in from afar.
The former Cincinnati first baseman first called Pujols “Most iconic player I played against. Tons of memories competing against him as a Cardinal.”
That alone was enough to stir up some Cincinnati frustration, given how often Pujols hurt the Reds over the years.
But Votto’s post about Molina was the one that really landed like a punch to the ribs for Reds fans.
“Class player. Class franchise.”
Molina’s career has long been a sore subject in Cincinnati. The catcher was a central figure in the infamous 2010 Cardinals-Reds melee, and from that August day until he retired in 2022, he was greeted with boos and jeers every time he stepped into Great American Ball Park. Cardinals fans, for their part, had plenty of their own history with Reds villainy, especially when Brandon Phillips dug in at Busch Stadium and took their taunts.
Still, Votto - who was part of that 2010 Reds team - did not take the bait. Instead of joining the long list of people in Cincinnati who’ve spent years taking shots at Molina, he gave him the kind of respect St. Louis has always believed he earned.
And really, that’s the point.
Molina’s value was never just in the noise around him. Pitchers who played with him consistently praised the way he ran a game and handled a staff, and even the numbers back up the reputation: he finished with a caught-stealing rate of just over 40%, a huge part of why his defensive profile has always stood out.
The debate over his place in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame has never really quieted down, but among players, the admiration seems universal. Former catcher Jonathan Lucroy said Molina is one of the three greatest catchers of all time, and compared the respect for Molina behind the plate to the way Derek Jeter was viewed at shortstop.
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