ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina decided to not play in this week's MLB All-Star Game, citing some nagging injuries that just needed rest. He also had another very good reason to miss the events – he had some new jewelry to pick up.
On Wednesday, the 10-time All-Star was in Puerto Rico to attend the championship ring ceremony of the professional basketball team he owns there. The Bayamón de Molina Vaqueros won the Puerto Rico National Superior Basketball (BSN) in 2020, the first year after Molina took control.
The team and others on social media shared photos of Molina there:
Molina turned 39-years-old on Tuesday and said after the Vaqueros game, "The boys put on a show."
According to ESPN, Molina purchased the team in October and had been planning it for months, but the process was delayed by the pandemic. Molina also owns other professional and amateur-level baseball and volleyball teams in his home country. He says they are "village teams."
"I had the idea of buying a sports outfit for years," Molina told ESPN. "Personally, I love investing in sports. I have organizations from 5- to 19-years-old.
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Molina was with the team in December when they won the championship for the 15th time in team history – the most of any team in the league:
It's at least the third championship ring in professional sports for Molina, who has won two World Series with the Cardinals. St. Louis will be back in action following the All-Star break on Friday, hosting the San Francisco Giants for a weekend series.
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