Catcher Jose Molina is in for a huge culture shock between last season and this coming one.

He has gone from backing up Jorge Posada, handling the New York Yankees' multi-million dollar World Series pitching staff, to backing up John Buck, handling a young, inexperienced rotation on a rebuilding Jays.

But the 34-year-old Molina enters the brave new world with his eyes wide open.

"For me, it's not a big change," Molina said. "It's that you have a younger staff, that's all. The way I see it, I always try to be a teacher. I try to teach them the best way possible to pitch in the big leagues.


"In New York, I knew they had experience, but even though they had experience, they always need a catcher to follow."

Molina doesn't believe that just because a team has announced it is rebuilding that it takes the possibility of winning out of the equation.

With two World Series under his belt and a string of winning seasons with the Angels and Yanks, he may be in for a rude dose of reality, but he talks a good game.

"It's a challenge, something different, when you come from teams like Anaheim and New York," Molina said. "You always expect to win. Here it's nothing different. I expect to win here. You must show players that even with development you can win. Expect to win every day.

"If you're in the big leagues you're ready to play in the big leagues. You should be ready to win. If you have that in your mind from Day 1 you're not going to have any doubt. The problem is when you say you're developing and it doesn't matter whether you win or lose. That's what I don't like. I'm a winner. Even if I'm a part of development, I'm going to do everything in my power to win."

Jose is one of three catching Molina brothers in the big leagues at the moment. Yadier is with the Cardinals, while Bengie is in San Francisco. In 2006, Bengie Molina was the Jays' starting catcher. Since then, in the ensuing three years, the Jays have had eight different catchers and now with Buck and Molina have two more.

Molina does not understand the disrespect that major league GMs seem to have for veteran catchers not named Joe Mauer. Every winter the free agent market is flooded with catchers, most of whom have to wait until big-name free agents at other positions have signed. His brother Bengie, following a solid three years with the Giants, had to wait until January to re-sign a one-year deal.


"We are the last players on Earth that GMs look up to," Molina said. "I wish I knew why. It's a tough position. I believe that most of the GMs worry about the health. You have to worry, but it's not like you're sure to get hurt. If a guy's playing 130-140 games for four or five years, that's pretty healthy. An accident can happen at any time to any position.

"Why is it different for giving this amount of money to the outfielder and not for a catcher that is going to help you win games every day? The outfielder may help you one day, two days, but not every day like the catcher can. You've got to understand that's the way it is."

Molina wants a piece of the leadership pie. Even though it's difficult for a backup catcher to be heard, when Jose flashes those two World Series rings, teammates should be listening.

"I talk to all of the players here and I tell them, I'm not here to just see the year go by, teach guys and lose.

"I want to teach guys and win. You don't learn this game losing."