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The Cardinals shocked many baseball observers by handing longtime catcher Yadier Molina $60 million over three years on the eve of the 2017 season. In a era of home-run-happy baseball, the contact-first Molina has generated only 12 homers in 275 games since 2015. But Molina’s value is not what he does when he’s standing at the plate, it’s what he does when he’s squatting behind it.
When it comes to calling a game, Molina’s in a league of his own. The ERA of pitchers when he’s catching (3.34) for St. Louis is nearly a run…