ST. LOUIS -- Growing up in Venezuela, Willson Contreras idolized the toughness and grit of Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and considered him to be one of the biggest inspirations on his journey to Major League Baseball.

Later, when Contreras was switched from the infield to catcher, he would sit and watch YouTube clips of Molina¡¯s elite defensive skills, hoping he could someday emulate the nine-time Gold Glove winner.

Naturally, in his first game catching for the Cardinals and replacing the retired Molina, Contreras knew he needed to do something to honor the legacy of the player he has admired for decades.

When he went out behind the plate on Opening Day at Busch Stadium for his first game in a Cardinals uniform, Contreras wore custom-designed Nike cleats with the phrase ¡°RESPECT 4¡± adorning the sides of both shoes. Weeks ago, Contreras said the idea hit him to honor the legacy of Molina, who retired following the 2022 season after catching for St. Louis teams over 19 seasons.

¡°He played here his whole life, and he is a really special player for the Cardinals,¡± said Contreras, who exited a 10-9 loss to the Blue Jays in the eighth inning with a right knee contusion. ¡°This is a really special place for me to be because we all know what [Molina] did for the Cardinals and baseball, and I have nothing but respect for Yadi. Now that I¡¯m here, I have goosebumps and I¡¯m excited to put this uniform on. I did this for [Molina] because I felt like I needed to honor him in some way. He deserves this and more.¡±

The Cardinals were faced with the monumental task of replacing Molina -- a two-time World Series champion and a 10-time All-Star -- last offseason and they did so by luring Contreras away from the rival Cubs. Contreras, a three-time All-Star Game starter and 2016 World Series champion, signed a five-year, $87.5 million deal with St. Louis in December.

This spring, Contreras passed up a chance to play for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic so that he could remain in Spring Training to build chemistry with Cardinals pitchers. That, he said, is something Molina would have done to make sure he was in the best position to succeed with his new team.

¡°When I first signed with the Cardinals, I was thinking of ways to let [Molina] know my appreciation of him and his game, and everything he did for the city of St. Louis,¡± said Contreras, who donned a signed Molina jersey in private late last season as he started to contemplate signing with the Cards. ¡°This [custom shoe] is the vision of what I wanted to do for him.¡±

When asked if he knew which locker stall inside the Cardinals' clubhouse he was taking over, Contreras replied with conviction right away.

¡°Yeah, it¡¯s Pujols¡¯ [locker],¡± Contreras said of St. Louis legend Albert Pujols, whose stirring power surge last season got him to 703 career home runs. ¡°He left behind a lot of good things -- a lot of hits and a lot of homers. There¡¯s been a lot of Hall of Famers around here, so that lets me know it¡¯s a special place.¡±