Cardinals All-Star Report: Yadier Molina doesn’t deserve the honor

I love players who do all the little things. The guys who make their names with their gloves, lay down the bunt to move the runner over, and always sprint down the line on a routine groundout. Taking care of the details wins games and builds chemistry.

The little things earn the respect of your teammates and opponents.

Catchers are often the glue guys who stand in the background while the home run hitters and flashy gloveman soak in the spotlight. They take a beating physically, constantly in a crouch taking foul balls off the helmet and dealing with the stray baserunner bearing down on them for home plate. And mentally. Catchers handle the pitching staff and must be prepared for every situation against every hitter in every at bat. The pitcher must trust his battery mate out on the mound.

Few are better at the job than Yadier Molina. Molina is widely viewed as the best defensive catcher in the game. He is a two-time Gold Glove winner and has thrown out 47 percent of stolen base attempts. He is also the brains behind one of the top pitching staffs in the league. Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter are All-Stars and in the hunt for the Cy Young and 20 wins. Rookie Jaime Garcia has wowed Cardinals nation with his stuff and mature winning personality. He is second in the majors with a 2.10 ERA and with a little luck and some more wins, he would be in Los Angeles too. Before Brad Penny went down with an injury, he was having a solid bounce-back campaign.

Molina’s importance to the Cards success is unquestionable. He is the glue that is holding this team together. He’s the quiet leader behind the mask. […]

But the glue guy who plays spectacular defense doesn’t usually merit All-Star selections and MVP trophies. Especially not from the fans.

Fans want home runs and RBI. And the web gem from the shortstop or centerfielder.

Yadier Molina hasn’t provided any of those things this year. Yet, he’s the National League’s starting catcher Tuesday as voted by the fans. Fans don’t notice defense. They notice name recognition. Molina has a reputation as the top catcher in baseball. So the fans punched his name more than any other at a position lacking any big names.

Sometimes, players deserve an All-Star selection based on their guts and defensive ability. They are clearly a big part of their team’s success. I love to see the unsung guy get some rare love.

But this year, Molina doesn’t fall into that category.

If you’re hitting .230 with three home runs, you are not an All-Star. There is no argument about defense or leadership. That’s not what the All-Star Game is about.

Molina is a great player. He’s just not an All-Star. The game is supposed to reward and honor the best players from April to July. Molina hasn’t been close. His lack of production with the bat is too much to ignore.

There is no way to defend a .230 batting average. Honestly, it’s a pathetic number that should keep any player from the All-Star Game. If his name wasn’t Yadi, he wouldn’t be included.

The best catcher in the National League this year won’t even be in Anaheim to take in the sights. Miguel Olivo, the Colorado Rockies backstop, is having an All-Star year.

He’s hitting .312 with 11 homers and 39 RBI. All far and away better than Molina and every other National League catcher. He should be starting Tuesday. Instead, he’ll be sitting at home.

But can he play defense, you ask? Actually, he’s thrown out 51 percent of all attempted base stealers this year. Yes, that’s better than Molina too.

And he’s what the All-Star Game should be all about. Olivo has played on six teams in nine years. He signed with the Rockies for a small contract. For Olivo, nothing has been guaranteed during his career.

For Olivo, a .230 average would be a ticket to the minor leagues.

His .312 average should be a ticket to the Midsummer Classic.

But Molina and Brian McCann will represent the National League. McCann was selected through the players’ ballot, which reveals another hole in the system.

The final say on reserves not voted by fans or players goes to the manager, which has proven to be another issue this year.

Manuel did not include the Cincinnati Reds’ Joey Votto on his team, but he did pick Omar Infante? Votto is leading the league with 21 homers. He is also among the league leaders in batting average and RBI. Basically, he’s the leading MVP candidate heading into the break. But he’s not on the team.

Infante, a glue guy who can play multiple positions, is. He’s having a good year and helping his team win. Though, last time I checked, playing multiple positions wasn’t a part of the All-Star criteria.

Molina and Infante are huge parts of their teams’ success. The All-Star Game is about individual performance, though.

Yadi hasn’t done enough to be an All-Star. And honest Cards fans would be the first to admit their beloved leader hasn’t done enough of the big things so far to deserve the honor.