Jose Molina 8 | C

• Full Name: Jose Benjamin Molina 
• Born: June 3, 1975 in Baymon, Puerto Rico
• Height: 6′ 2”
• Weight: 235
• Bats: Right
• Throws: Right
• College: Ladislao Martinez, PR
• MLB Debut: September 6, 1999

Hit .216 (58-for-268) with 32R, 17 doubles, 3HR and 18RBI in 100 games with the Yankees (81 starts at C)… set career highs in games played, games started, at-bats, hits and runs… tied his single-season career high with 17 doubles (also in 2006 with Los Angeles-AL)… his 81 starts at catcher were the most starts by a Yankees catcher other than Jorge Posada since Joe Girardi made 109 starts behind the plate in 1997…Led the Major Leagues with a 43.2% caught stealing rate… with 32CS (in 74 attempts), tied with brother Bengie Molina for second in the Majors behind Milwaukee’s Jason Kendall (36)… ranked fifth in the Majors-and fourth in the American League-with a 3.71 catcher’s ERA, recording the lowest such mark by a Yankee since Joe Girardi in 1997 (3.42)…Made his sixth career Opening Day roster and first with the Yankees… hit safely in each of his first nine starts of the season (4/2-13), going 12-for-32 (.375) with 7 doubles and 2RBI in those games… batted sixth in the lineup and was 2-for-4 with 1 double in 4/10 win at Kansas City, marking just the second time in his career he hit higher than seventh (also 5/21/04 w/ Anaheim vs. Baltimore)…Was 1-for-3 with 1R and 1BB in 5/3 win vs. Seattle, snapping a 23AB hitless streak with his sixth-inning single… his walk in the fourth inning snapped a streak of 93 consecutive plate appearances without a base on balls… was 1-for-3 with 1 double in 5/18 loss vs. the Mets, snapping an 0-for-20 stretch vs. lefthanded pitching with a fifth-inning double off Johan Santana… was the longest such streak of his career (credit: Elias Sports Bureau)…Was credited with 12 consecutive caught stealings from 6/3-7/6, marking the longest such stretch by a catcher since the White Sox’s Mike LaValliere in 1993 (also 12 consecutive CS)… had his streak snapped by B.J. Upton in 7/8 win vs. Tampa Bay… was credited with a CS on 6/14 at Houston despite a Derek Jeter error on the play…Made six consecutive starts at catcher for the first time in his career from 7/4-10, becoming the first Yankees catcher other than Jorge Posada to accomplish the feat since Joe Girardi in 1997 (credit: Elias Sports Bureau). 4 Recorded a “walk-off,” bases-loaded HBP in the 12th inning..Recorded a “walk-off,” bases-loaded HBP in the 12th inning in 7/19 win vs. Oakland, after entering the game defensively in the 10th inning at C… was the Yankees’ first “walk-off” win on an HBP since Clete Boyer was hit in the 12th inning of the Yankees’ 2-1 victory vs. Washington on 7/15/65…Hit solo-HR off Jered Weaver and was 3-for-3 with 3R in 8/2 win vs. the Angels, snapping a 221AB homerless stretch dating to 9/5/07 vs. Seattle… was his first homer off a right-handed pitcher since 9/14/06 w/ Los Angeles (AL) at Texas (off Edinson Volquez), a span of 284AB vs. RHP… tied a season high with 3H (also on 7/21 vs. Minnesota) and scored a career-high-tying 3R for the first time since 6/6/06 w/ Angels at Tampa Bay (fourth time overall)…Was eighth-inning defensive replacement at 1B in 8/21 loss at Toronto (did not bat), marking his 10th career appearance at 1B and first since 8/10/06 at Cleveland (w/ Los Angeles-AL)…Hit the last home run in Yankee Stadium history in 9/21 win vs. Baltimore, a two-run shot in the fourth inning off Chris Waters… went 3-for-4 with 2R in the game, tying his season-high in hits (third time)… entered the game with 1H in previous 24AB… his spikes used during the game were donated to the National Baseball Hall of Fame…Started behind the plate in 9/28 Game 1 win at Boston, catching Mike Mussina’s 20th win of the season.