Bob Molinaro

Robert Joseph Molinaro (born May 21, 1950) is a former professional baseball outfielder in the minor and major leagues in a career that lasted 18 years. His baseball career began in 1968, and lasted till 1985. During that time Molinaro played for 13 different teams, in seven different leagues.

Molinaro's career in professional baseball began on June 7, 1968, when he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 2nd round of the 1968 amateur draft. Molinaro later signed with the Tigers on June the 17th of 1968.

Molinaro was then assigned to the rookie class Gulf Coast League Tigers for the 1968 season. Molinaro was promoted to class A the following season and played in the Carolina League for the Rocky Mount Leafs in 1969. After the 1969 season Molinaro was once again promoted up the ranks of the Detroit Tigers system to class double-A were he would spend the next two seasons 1970 through 71 playing for the Montgomery Rebels of the Southern League.

In 1972 Molinaro finally moved up to triple-A and played the season with the International League's Toledo Mud Hens. The 1973 season saw Molinaro return to the Mud Hens and also saw him spend time back in double-A with a return to the Rebels. Over the course of the next four years, from 1974 to 1977, Molinaro played for the Tigers' new triple-A club, the Evansville Triplets of the American Association. While seeing most of his playing time with Evansville, Molinaro also saw playing time in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox.

Bob Molinaro made his major league debut for the Detroit Tigers on September the 18th of 1975. Bob Molinaro went to play five more games for the Tigers that season. A return the Majors came a year later in 1977 with the Detroit Tigers for one game. Later, on September 22 of that year, Bob Molinaro was selected off waivers by the Chicago White Sox from the Detroit Tigers. After getting picked up by Chicago, Bob Molinaro would see action in four games for the White Sox in 1977.

Bob Molinaro returned to the majors for a full season with the White Sox in 1978, before heading back to the minor leagues for the 1979 season, which saw him play for the American Association's Iowa Oaks. Molinaro did have another brief stay in the major leagues in 1979 when he played eight games for the Baltimore Orioles. Once again, he was back in a White Sox uniform, and playing full-time for them in 1980 and in 81.

After two years with the Chicago White Sox, Bob Molinaro was sent by the Chicago White Sox to the Chicago Cubs on March 29, 1982 to complete an earlier deal made on August 15, 1981. The Chicago White Sox sent a player to be named later to the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named later, who turned out to be Lynn McGlothen. The Chicago White Sox sent Molinaro to the Chicago Cubs to complete the trade.

After spending the 1982 season with the Chicago Cubs and seeing 65 games of action, Molinaro was purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies on August 31 and finished the season with the Phillies, seeing playing time in 19 games.

The 1983 season was the last time Molinaro saw playing time in the major leagues. After returning to the Philadelphia Phillies and playing in 19 games, Molinaro was released by the Philadelphia Phillies on June 6 and found himself back in the minor league's this time playing for the triple-A American Association's Indianapolis Indians.

A return to the Major League's came that September when on the 1st Molinaro was signed as a Free Agent by the Detroit Tigers. Molinaro saw only eight more games of action in the Major Leagues with his return to the Tigers. Molinaro's career came to a close after sitting out the 1984 season he returned to play one last season with the triple-A International League's Rochester Red Wings in 1985.

After his playing career had ended, Molinaro remained active in baseball as a manager with the Hagerstown Suns of the class A South Atlantic League for two years, 1986 and 1987, then on to single seasons as a manager with the Canton-Akron Indians of the Eastern League in 1989, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox of the triple-A Pacific Coast League in 1990, and finally the Port Charlotte Rangers of the class A Florida State League in 1991.

Bob is now a sports writer at the Virginian Pilot in Norfolk, VA.