Molina: The Story of the Father Who Raised an Unlikely Baseball Dynasty

Barnes & Noble Corte Madera to Host Bengie Molina & Joan Ryan for Father’s Day Weekend Book Talk & Signing:

Molina: The Story of the Father Who Raised an Unlikely Baseball Dynasty



Barnes & Noble Corte Madera will host former San Francisco Giants catcher Bengie Molina and co-author Joan Ryan (Molina: The Story of the Father Who Raised an Unlikely Baseball Dynasty) for a book talk and signing Father’s Day weekend on Saturday, June 20 at 1:30-3:00pm.



“A beautiful memoir about fathers and sons and the perfect book to share this Father’s Day, Molina: The Story of the Father Who Raised an Unlikely Baseball Dynasty follows the life of Benjamin Molina Santana, a poor factory worker from Puerto Rico who loved his family and baseball above all else, as told through the eyes of his oldest son and namesake. A local hero, Pai (as he was affectionately known) instilled his own passion and talent for the game into his three sons – Bengie, José, and Yadier – and raised the most unlikely dynasty in baseball: all threes sons went on to be star catchers; all three played in the Major Leagues; and all three earned World Series rings – twice.



Rivaled only by the DiMaggio brothers as the most accomplished siblings in baseball history, the story of the Molina brothers is as much a sports classic in the vein of Field of Dreams and Friday Night Lights as it is a father-son story for the ages: a story of success and setbacks, of love for one another and for the game. As the oldest son, Bengie grew up knowing that because of his smaller stature and quiet personality, he’d have to work the hardest of his brothers to make it to the Major Leagues and impress his father. “If I made is to the Major Leagues, it would be like we both made it,” whites Bengie. And after years of practice and sacrifice, make it he did: Bengie signed with the Anaheim Angels in 1993 and would go on to play for the Toronto Blue Jays, the San Francisco Giants, and the Texas Rangers. Over the course of his career, he earned two Gold Glove Awards and won two World Series rings.



Crediting his father with much of his success, and also for teaching him what it means to be a man, Bengie and Pai’s relationship was not without its battles. Throughout the years, they argued about baseball, of course, but also about family, about respect, about loyalty. It wasn’t until Pai’s unexpected death from a heart attack – a tragedy that shook not only Bengie and his family to their core, but also their entire Puerto Rican town where Pai was a surrogate father, friend, and coach to countless – that Bengie came to understand that the goal he was chasing all his life – to fulfill what he thought was his father’s own failed dream of playing in the Major Leagues – might not have been his father’s dream at all.” ~book information provided by Erin Reback, Simon & Schuster Publicist



“An affecting memoir…A simply told, deeply moving story, quite unlike the usual baseball book.” - Kirkus Reviews, starred review



“It’s this year’s baseball book most likely to be made into a terrific move. …An ideal Father’s Day present.” - The Chicago Tribune



“For three brothers to make it to the big leagues, to all play the same demanding position, and to appear, between them, in eight World Series to date is remarkable enough. What is just as remarkable is the backstory – the family, especially the parents, who made Yadier, Bengie, and José Molina the ballplayers and men they became.” – Bob Costas



“If Molina was just a baseball book explaining how a small town in Puerto Rico produced a historic set of three brothers who became Major League catchers and earned six World Series championships, it would still be a terrific read. The reality is that MolinaMolina


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