It was a stunning and dramatic visual. It goes high on the list of the top scenes for the 2021 Cardinals. It wasn’t meant to be, but here we were. Watching. Marveling. Amazed. Dumbfounded. And maybe even a little emotional.
Pitcher Jon Lester.
His arms wrapped around catcher Yadier Molina in a memorable bro hug.
Two former baseball rivals. Two of the toughest, fiercest guys in modern baseball, holding their embrace, making it last, letting the moment linger. Freeze-framing it for the video fans have been viewing online all day.
Lester and Molina had much to celebrate.
Lester’s 200th MLB victory. A 5-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Lester’s incredible, unexpected but powerful impact in the late, bold St. Louis push for the postseason. The kismet that brought them together for a shared goal and an improbable relationship.
Both warriors have competed at the highest level, winning five combined World Series during their distinguished careers. Between them there are 34 MLB seasons, 76 birthday parties, 20 postseasons, 15 All-Star games, 126 postseason games, and wins stacked as high as the John Hancock Tower in Boston, the Sears Tower in Chicago, and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
And here they were on the field in Milwaukee, Molina and Lester. They had battled against each other for many years, with Lester winning two games for Boston in the 2013 World Series takedown of the Cardinals. That was followed by the Cub Years, with Lester making 20 regular-season starts (and another in the postseason) against St. Louis from 2015 through 2020. They pretty much fought to a draw, with Lester going 8-8 against the Cardinals as a Cub.
But intense competitors are naturally drawn to each other. The mutual respect transcends any snarly feelings. The closest thing to love is hate, and vice versa. And now that Molina and Lester are teammates, the two rivals have bonded. Of course. It’s all about winning.
Wallowing for a non-contender in Washington, Lester yearned for another chance to stand on the mound under the October lights. Molina plans to retire after next season, so the hour is getting late, and he’s driven to get a shot at another World Series.
When two former rivals care about only one thing in this late September, the Cubs vs. Cardinals grudges don’t matter except for the final seven games they’ll play against each other over the remaining schedule.
“At the end of the day, that’s what we all play for, is that World Series,” Lester said via Zoom after Monday’s game. “To have an opportunity to go after that World Series is huge. Being on this side, yes, it’s been a little bit different at first, but it’s been great. The organization’s awesome, the guys here are great. It’s definitely been a fun experience, and I’m glad that I got to see this side of it from being on the other side for so long.”
Lester and Molina are wired the same way. Their competitive ethos is one and the same. They observe the same baseball code. They do not seek trouble but will take it on if confronted. They have never backed down from anyone or anything. They are fearless. And their finest form surfaces when pressure rises.
They are not old school.
They are old world.
So even though the hug was surprising — something we didn’t think we’d ever see — these are the ties that bind. Both are Cardinals now. Both have October baseball in their minds and hearts. And they can help each other achieve a common objective.
For Molina, it’s having another big-game pitcher in a rotation that has required a series of transfusions for much of the season. It is also a matter of pride, as Molina once again is enhancing his justified reputation as one of catching’s best pitcher-whisperers in the history of the game. Molina’s ability to fix pitchers is legendary — and an immense value that cannot be quantified by WAR. He’s a primary reason why the Cardinals rank second in the majors in ERA since 2005, when Molina, age 22, took over as starting catcher.
For Lester, the mission began with an arrival in St. Louis with an open mind, the willingness to take Molina’s advice, follow Yadier’s lead, and make a commitment to reinvent his pitching style.
Lester elaborated after yielding only three hits and two runs (with no walks) in six vintage innings in Monday’s 5-2 victory over the Crew — a win that extended the winning streak to nine games. The Cardinals have won 11 of their last 12 to take a three-game lead in the No.2 wild-card fandango.
“Buying into the changes I need to make or needed to make,” Lester explained via postgame Zoom. “The game is ever-changing and, you know, if you don’t make the adjustments, you’ll be out of it pretty quickly. We’ve been able to really buy into those adjustments as I’ve been here. Having Yadi back here helps that. Having the staff here has really helped me form a game plan of what we’re trying to do. You’re still going out there and you feel uncomfortable because it’s not what you’ve done, but you have to buy in and try to execute pitches.”
The Cardinals have won six of Lester’s last eight starts and he has a 2.76 ERA over that time. He hasn’t allowed more than two runs in his last six starts, compiling a 2.27 ERA. And Lester has averaged 6.3 innings over his last three three starts. He’s been an ideal addition. Just what the Cardinals needed. But he had to make it work, and change an outdated approach that resulted in a 5.02 ERA in his 16 starts for the Nationals before the trade to STL.
Using pitch data from the invaluable Brooks Baseball site, here’s the simplest way to describe the before-and-after change in Lester’s attack: fewer four-seam fastballs, more sinkers and changeups. It’s a little more complicated than that; he’s rearranged his customary pitch sequencing to keep hitters off balance. And oh yeah: the Cardinals best-in-MLB defense is a sensational asset for Lester. It’s a major part of his resurgence.
When Molina and Lester stopped hugging, Yadier stepped back and opened his mitt and presented the final-out baseball to Lester. They smiled.
It’s a beautiful thing.
As a bonus, Molina also helped Lester get No. 200 by driving in two runs Monday. He’s hitting .321 with runners in scoring position this season.
Lester and Molina may have glared at each other in past years — but now they’re working together and glaring at other teams now. It’s a successful partnership. Unlikely in origin, yes. But in a way it makes perfect sense.
Hell, if the “Team of Rivals” plan worked for Abraham Lincoln and William H. Seward, it’s copasetic for Yadier Molina and Jon Lester to stand as brothers in baseball.
The late and precious Lou Brock — Cubs to Cardinals — would definitely agree and approve.
Thanks for reading …
–Bernie
Bernie invites you to listen to his opinionated sports-talk show on 590-AM The Fan, KFNS. It airs Monday through Thursday from 3-6 p.m. and Friday from 4-6 p.m. You can listen by streaming online or by downloading the “Bernie Show” podcast at 590thefan.com — the 590 app works great and is available in your preferred app store.
The weekly “Seeing Red” podcast with Bernie and Will Leitch is available at 590thefan.com
Follow Bernie on Twitter @miklasz
* All stats used here are sourced from FanGraphs, Baseball Reference, Stathead, Bill James Online, Fielding Bible, Baseball Savant and Brooks Baseball Net unless otherwise noted.
For the last 36 years Bernie Miklasz has entertained, enlightened, and connected with generations of St. Louis sports fans.
While best known for his voice as the lead sports columnist at the Post-Dispatch for 26 years, Bernie has also written for The Athletic, Dallas Morning News and Baltimore News American. A 2023 inductee into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, Bernie has hosted radio shows in St. Louis, Dallas, Baltimore and Washington D.C.
Bernie, his wife Kirsten and their cats reside in the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood of St. Louis.
