3 people Chicago Cubs fans love to hate – and 1 they’ll always adore

3 people Chicago Cubs fans sure love to hate: #2 – Yadier Molina

I want to be clear here.  Cubs fans hate Rob Manfred – but their dislike of Yadier Molina is definitely just a product of having to face the guy for the last two decades. The longtime Cardinals backstop is the face of the type of player you loathe, that is, unless he plays for your team.

2022 will be the final go-round for Molina, who first burst onto the scene way back in 2004 as a 21-year-old. Since then, he’s won a pair of World Series rings, made 10 All-Star appearances and brought home a ridiculous amount of Gold and Platinum Gloves for his work behind the dish.

Cubs-Cardinals, even now, ranks among the best rivalries in sports – and emotions always run high when these two teams lock horns. Molina has been at the center of his share of big moments in the rivalry, and I can’t say I know any Chicago faithful who will be upset to see him hang up his spikes next fall.

With the rise of Willson Contreras in recent years, the two catchers traded barbs in the media, which only fueled the tensions between the clubs. The ‘St. Louis is boring’ fiasco didn’t sit well with Molina, either. At the end of the day, fans always need a guy on a rival to hate – and Molina has worn that crown well for a long, long time.