Benjamin José "Bengie" Molina , nicknamed "Big Money", is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He is the older brother of major league catchers José Molina and Yadier Molina. Initially regarded as a "good glove, no hit" catcher with a strong arm and an exceptional ball blocker, Molina won a Gold Glove as the top defensive player at his position in consecutive seasons in 2002 and 2003. But he also developed into a very good contact hitter and free-swinging power hitter. Between 2000 and 2007, he struck out just 331 times, and in 2000 led the American League in average at-bats... between strikeouts, with 14.3. However, at 5' 11" and weighing 225 pounds, he was regarded as one of the slowest baserunners of his day. Molina graduated from the Maestro Ladí High School with honors in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, and played shortstop for Arizona Western College in Yuma, Arizona, in 1991 and 1992. Molina entered the major leagues by playing two games for the Anaheim Angels in 1998, and a handful of games in 1999. He became the Angels' regular catcher in 2000 and remained so through the 2005 season.
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