Gabe Molina

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=darkblue
bgcolor2=maroon
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Gabe Molina
position=Pitcher
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1975|5|3
debutdate=May 1
debutyear=by|1999
debutteam=Baltimore Orioles
finaldate=May 26
finalyear=by|2003
finalteam=St. Louis Cardinals
stat1label=ERA
stat1value=6.58
stat2label=Record
stat2value=2-2
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=28
teams=
*Baltimore Orioles (1999-2000)
*Atlanta Braves (2000)
*St. Louis Cardinals (2002-2003)
highlights=
*none

Gabe Molina (born May 3, 1975 in Denver, Colorado) is a former right handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played from 1999 to 2000 and from 2002 to 2003 for the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals. He was 6'1" tall and he weighed 220 pounds.

Prior to playing professional baseball, Molina Kennedy High School and then Arizona State University.

Drafted by the Orioles in the 21st round of the 1996 amateur draft and signed by scout John Green, Molina began his professional career that year with the Bluefield Orioles. In 23 relief appearances, he went 4-0 with a 3.60 ERA, striking out 33 batters in 30 innings of work. The following year, he pitched for the Delmarva Shorebirds, and he went 8-6 with a 2.18 ERA in 46 relief appearances. He struck out 119 batters in 91 innings as well. In 1998, pitching for the Bowie Baysox, Molina went 3-2 with 24 saves and a 3.36 ERA in 61 2/3 innings. He struck out 75 batters.

Molina began the 1999 season with the Rochester Red Wings, going 2-2 with 18 saves and a 3.14 ERA in 45 relief appearances for them. On May 1, he made his big league debut, pitching against the Minnesota Twins. He allowed a hit and a walk in an inning of work, but he gave up no earned runs. Overall, he made 20 appearances in the Majors in 1999, going 1-2 with a 6.65 ERA. He walked 16 batters and struck out 14. According to Baseball America, he was ranked the 10th best prospect in the Orioles organization in 1999.

He spent time in the majors and minors in 2000, in two different organizations. For the Baltimore Orioles, he appeared in nine games and posted a 9.00 ERA in 13 innings. For the Red Wings, he went 1-2 with a 4.94 ERA in 18 games. He started four games for them, the first starts of his professional career. On July 31, Molina was traded with B.J. Surhoff to the Braves for Trenidad Hubbard, Fernando Lunar and Luis Rivera. He made two appearances for the Braves and spent the rest of the season with the Richmond Braves. With the Atlanta Braves, he pitched two innings, allowing two earned runs. With Richmond, he went 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in nine relief appearances. Overall, he went 0-0 with a 9.00 ERA in 11 relief appearances in 2000. He went 2-2 with a 4.58 ERA in the minor leagues. He was granted free agency on December 21st

Molina was signed by the Florida Marlins on January 10, 2001. He appeared in 40 games (16 starts) for the Calgary Cannons, their minor league affiliate, going 5-9 with a 5.89 ERA. He was granted free agency on October 15. He was signed by the Cardinals on November 28, 2001.

Although he had struggled mightily in the majors throughout his career, and in the minors in parts of 2000 and all of 2001, his 2002 season would prove to be a major improvement, if not a pleasant surprise. He appeared in 56 games for the Cardinals AAA team the Memphis Redbirds, going 5-4 with a 2.15 ERA, saving 12 games. In 12 major league appearances, he went 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA.

He would not be so successful in 2003, going 2-9 with a 5.09 ERA in 57 relief appearances for the Redbirds, and 0-0 with a 13.53 ERA in three relief appearances for the Cardinals. He appeared in his final major league game on May 26.

In 2004, he did not play in American affiliated baseball. In 2005, he pitched for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, in the Colorado Rockies farm system. In 12 games with them, he went 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA.

Overall, Molina went 2-2 in 46 major league relief appearances. In 52 innings, he walked 33 batters, struck out 28 and posted a 6.58 ERA.

References

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/molinga01.shtml Baseball Reference]