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Who tells your story? Lin-Manuel Miranda teases plans for baseball movie

The 'Hamilton' composer says he's working on the story of the three major league catchers from his hometown in Puerto Rico.

By J.P. Hoornstra

Apr 14, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina (4) talks with his brother Cardinals assistant hitting coach Bengie Molina (18) before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. The Brewers defeated the Cardinals 4-3.
Apr 14, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina (4) talks with his brother Cardinals assistant hitting coach Bengie Molina (18) before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. The Brewers defeated the Cardinals 4-3. / Scott Rovak-Imagn Images
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Vega Alta, a small town in Puerto Rico, is home to the family of Broadway composer, playwright, and performer Lin-Manuel Miranda. It's also home to the family of baseball's Molina brothers.

Yadier, Jose and Bengie Molina all reached the big leagues as catchers. So did Bernie Williams, whose mother is from Vega Alta.

"An appalling number of Major League Baseball players" call Vega Alta home, Miranda told Jennifer Mercedes on Saturday in an interview posted to Twitter/X. (He didn't even mention that his cousin, Jose Miranda, plays for the Minnesota Twins.)

But the acclaimed performer did tell Mercedes something that's captivated the imagination of baseball fans: Miranda is working on a script based on the life of the Molina brothers.

"It's really incredible," he said of his hometown's baseball legacy, "so to be able to honor that in a movie is something we're really actively trying to do."

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The first of the three to reach the majors, Bengie Molina played 13 seasons (1998-2010) with the Angels, Blue Jays, Giants and Rangers. Jose Molina played 15 seasons (1999-2014) at baseball's highest level for the Cubs, Angels, Yankees, Blue Jays and Rays.

Yadier Molina, the youngest of the three, enjoyed the longest career. He became a beloved figure in St. Louis during his 19-year career (2004-22) with the Cardinals, leading the team to World Series championships in 2006 and 2011.

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A 10-time All-Star who collected 2,168 hits during his career, Molina has been mentioned as a future Hall of Famer.

Added together, the trio makes for a compelling subject for a baseball movie — a genre in need of a new classic title.

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