Puerto Rico’s Yadier Molina Slams Security At World Baseball Classic

Yadier Molina is not happy with Major League Baseball right now.

The St. Louis Cardinals catcher, who is playing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, accused MLB of failing to provide security in the section where his national team’s players’ families sat during a 9-4 victory over Mexico in Guadalajara, Mexico on Saturday.

In the ninth inning, play was interrupted when Puerto Rico players left the dugout and gathered along the wall on the third-base side at Estadio de Béisbol Charros de Jalisco. According to game organizers, a disturbance had happened between a fan and family members of the Puerto Rico team.

Following the game, Molina wrote on his Instagram page that it was a “shame” that players became concerned about their families and that the event had been terribly organized.

“MLB,,, its a shame that you are more interested in making money and not in the security of our family,” Molina said in the post, which he wrote in both English and Spanish. “Its a shame that the players have to be worried about the safety of our family when you were supposed to have security for them,, Horrible organization for the this event, no security for the players family,,, its a shame MLB.”

“Security staff responded quickly and relocated the families to a new area,” said the W.B.C., which is jointly run by M.L.B. and the players’ union, in a statement Sunday. “Stadium security is always our main priority, and we will make every effort to prevent another such situation.”

Play resumed approximately five minutes later, after the stadium announcer urged players to return to the dugout and fans to behave appropriately. After the game, Puerto Rico’s players said no family members had been hurt.

“I know the fans of Mexico are good fans, but the rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico is part of the game,” Puerto Rico shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “It’s too bad that something happens like this, in such a beautiful atmosphere.”

In other news related to the WBC, Mexico filed a protest after it was eliminated from the tournament due to falling short of playing in a tiebreaker despite defeating Venezuela in its final game.

Mexico beat Venezuela 11-9, which left it with the same record as Venezuela and Italy. But the latter two teams will play a tie-breaking game tonight in Guadalajara because Venezueal edged Mexico in the tiebreaker. The margin of victory in this tiebreaker was incredibly slim: 1.11 to 1.12.

Mexico’s manager, Edgar Gonzalez, questioned whether his team’s partial inning against Italy – it gave up five ninth-inning runs, but failed to record an out in the 10-9 walk-off loss – should count in the computations.

His brother, Los Angeles Dodgers star and Mexico first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, was even more pointed, claiming the Mexicans were told before the game that a two-run victory would be sufficient for the team to reach the tiebreaker. He later told reporters the conclusion would make him think harder before participating in future WBCs.

Adrian Gonzales seemed to be up all night filing the protest.

The winner of tonight’s tiebreaker game will join Pool D winner Puerto Rico – which went 3-0 in Guadalajara – in the second round at San Diego’s Petco Park, beginning Tuesday.
PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 06: Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds third after hitting a grand slam home run in the first inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 6, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)