Commentary: Giants' Molina caught in numbers game

SAN FRANCISCO – Full disclosure: I did not vote for Bengie Molina to be the N.L.'s starting catcher.

With the depth of quality backstops in the senior circuit, the Giants sputtering along at 10 games under .500 and man-child Tim Lincecum a virtual lock for the one All-Star Game roster spot guaranteed San Francisco, I wasn't sure the Giants catcher warranted more than cursory consideration.

I was right … and wrong.

Molina deserved more than contemplation; the heart and soul of this spunky little rebuilding Giants squad should have his name announced during Yankee Stadium's last All-Star hurrah July 15.

Maybe not as the N.L.'s starter behind the plate, but surely as a reserve.

"I wasn't expecting it," said Molina, a two-time Gold Glove winner who made his big-league debut in 1998 and never has been an All-Star. "So I'm fine."

His obviously dejected body language told a far different story, though.

Molina was caught in a numbers crunch, pure and simple.

Among the four most deserving candidates – Molina, the Chicago Cubs' Geovany Soto, the Los Angeles Dodgers' Russell Martin and the Atlanta Braves' Brian McCann – the Giants catcher had the third-highest batting average (.297), the fewest home runs (six), but the most RBIs (52) in the fewest games (78) entering Sunday. But Molina boasts an advantage over the other three in the most important category – intangibles.

And when the Giants landed two – count 'em, two – pitchers on the All-Star team, that solidified it: BENGIE WUZ ROBBED.

Soto, voted in as the starter thanks to the Cubbies' massive and growing fan base and no doubt splitting the Puerto Rican vote with Molina, is having a phenomenal rookie season at baseball's most demanding position; Martin might be the better all-around hitter; and McCann has a lot more pop.

But not one of them has meant more to their respective teams than Molina, the Giants' MVP.

How else would you describe what he has done in helping develop the guys who actually were named All-Stars on Sunday? The irony in two pitchers in Lincecum, in his first full big-league season, and Brian Wilson, a first-year closer leading the N.L. in saves, getting their first All-Star nods while their catcher, who has been prominent in their development and ensuing success, gets snubbed was as obvious as the dark-as-night soul patch on Wilson's lower lip.

"The only reason why Tim and I are going is Bengie," Wilson said. "Sometimes I get caught up out there with my emotions and he slows the game down. He knows me.

"Without him, there is no All-Star selection."

Lincecum agreed. "Bengie is well deserving," the wunderkind said. "Without a doubt he's been good for (Brian and me) and he's been awesome at the plate. It's just a shame he doesn't have anything to show for it."

At whose feet can Giants fans lay their wrath? It would be easy to single out a stinkin' Dodger in Martin. That would be wrong.

Because while Martin was voted in by the players as the Dodgers' lone All-Star, the real "villain" in this mystery is Colorado manager Clint Hurdle.

With seven selections to fill out his roster, not counting the final vote, the Rockies' skipper did not need to choose McCann, a two-time All-Star, as the Braves already were represented by third baseman Chipper Jones.

But Hurdle did just that and Molina has some added motivation for the next time the Giants face the defending N.L. champs. Circle Aug. 25 on your calendar.

"You do anything to get yourself up," Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti said recently, and he should know. All "Rags" did after being snubbed for an All-Star team was throw a no-hitter, just to show the offending manager he belonged.

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