Molina, Bengie Molina
Molina, Bengie Molina
1 Rating(s)
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
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Molina
The Story of the Father Who Raised an Unlikely Baseball Dynasty

Author: Bengie Molina, Joan Ryan

Narrator: Henry Leyva

Unabridged: 8 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/12/2015


Synopsis

The inspiring true story of the poor Puerto Rican factory worker, Benjamin Molina Santana, who against all odds raised the greatest baseball dynasty of all time: Molina's three sons Bengie, Jose, and Yadier have each earned two World Series rings, which is unprecedented in the sport, and his story is told by one of them, Bengie.

A baseball rules book. A tape measure. A lottery ticket. These were in the pocket of Bengie Molina's father when he died of a heart attack on the rutted Little League field in his Puerto Rican barrio. The items serve as thematic guideposts in Molina's beautiful memoir about his father, who through baseball taught his three sons about loyalty, humility, courage, and the true meaning of success. Bengie and his two brothers Jose and six-time All-Start Yadier became famous catchers in the Major Leagues and have six World Series Championships among them.

Only the DiMaggio brothers can rival the Molinas as the most accomplished siblings in baseball history. Bengie was the least likely to reach the majors. He was too slow, too sensitive and too small. But craving his beloved fathers respect, Bengie weathered failure after deflating failure until one day he was hoisting a World Series trophy in a champagne-soaked clubhouse. All along he thought he was fulfilling his fathers own failed dream of baseball glory only to discover it had not been his fathers dream at all.

Written with the emotional power of sports classics such as Field of Dreams and Friday Night Lights, Molina is a love story between a formidable but flawed father and a son who, in unearthing answers about his fathers life, comes to understand his own.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Dawn on April 17, 2022

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, t......more

Goodreads review by Deb on October 28, 2018

If you are a baseball fan, a fan of the Cardinals or any of the 3 Molina brothers, you will love this book. If you are a father with a son who plays sports, you should read this book.......more

Goodreads review by Jane on March 24, 2017

Story of a humble man who only wanted to play and teach children how to play baseball. His son's all became major athletics but Pai would never leave his home in Puerto Rico and still lived in the surroundings he raised his boys. Very touching.......more

Goodreads review by Peter on May 05, 2015

Men are masters at translating relationships and war into sports metaphors. It’s fed by a primal memory of organizing for the hunt, rewarded by the warm glow of a full belly and a camp fire. Or cracker jacks and hot dogs on a modern day field of dreams. Now let me chalk the lines as I review the bes......more

Goodreads review by Kathy on June 01, 2015

IF you are a baseball fan, you will like this book. It is not the best written despite a ghost writer to help Bengie put his story together. But it is a very heartfelt tribute to the Molina patriarch, the poor father who, despite his own baseball prowess and possibilities, dedicated his life to his......more