Rod Barajas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rod Barajas |
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Barajas with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: September 5, 1975 Ontario, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 25, 1999, for the Arizona Diamondbacks | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 2012, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .235 | ||
| Home runs | 136 | ||
| Runs batted in | 480 | ||
| Managerial record | 1–7 | ||
| Winning % | .125 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Rod Barajas (born September 5, 1975) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for many teams. These included the Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, and New York Mets. He also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Rod Barajas was part of the Arizona Diamondbacks team that won the 2001 World Series. They beat the New York Yankees that year. After his playing career, he became a coach and even an interim manager for the San Diego Padres. He also played for the Mexico national baseball team.
Rod Barajas's Baseball Journey
Starting with the Diamondbacks
Rod Barajas began his professional baseball career with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They signed him as a free agent in 1996. He started in the minor leagues, which are lower levels of professional baseball. He played well, hitting for a high average in his first year.
Barajas made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on September 25, 1999. This was against the San Francisco Giants. He hit his first career home run on October 3, 1999. It was against the San Diego Padres. He played a few games in 1999 and 2000. He hit two home runs and played catcher without making any errors.
In 2001, Barajas was a backup catcher for the Diamondbacks. He helped his team win the 2001 World Series. He even hit a home run in Game 5 of the World Series. He continued as a backup catcher in 2002 and 2003. After the 2003 season, he became a free agent. This meant he could sign with any team.
Playing for the Texas Rangers
In 2004, the Texas Rangers signed Rod Barajas. He had never played more than 80 games in a season before. But with the Rangers, he got a chance to play more. He became the starting catcher when another player was injured.
That year, he set new personal bests. He played in 108 games and hit 15 home runs. He also had 58 RBIs. In 2005, he hit even more home runs, with 21. He continued to be a key player for the Rangers.
Time with the Philadelphia Phillies
In 2007, Barajas signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. He shared playing time as a catcher with another player. He played in 48 games for the Phillies. After the season, the Phillies decided not to keep him.
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Joining the Toronto Blue Jays
In 2008, Rod Barajas signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was first a backup catcher. But he soon became the starting catcher due to his good play. He played 104 games in 2008. He hit 11 home runs and had 49 RBIs.
In 2009, he continued as the starting catcher. He had a career-high 71 RBIs that season. He also hit 19 home runs in 125 games.
Playing for the New York Mets
On February 24, 2010, Barajas signed with the New York Mets. He became their main catcher. On May 7, 2010, he hit a special home run. It was the first "walk-off" home run at Citi Field. A walk-off home run wins the game immediately. He was the first Mets catcher since 2005 to hit 12 or more home runs.
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Moving to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Later in 2010, Barajas joined the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his very first game with the Dodgers, he played great. He hit two doubles and a three-run home run. He was the first Dodger to have three extra-base hits in his first game. He continued to play well for the Dodgers.
He re-signed with the Dodgers for the 2011 season. He played in 98 games that year. He hit 16 home runs and had 47 RBIs. After the season, he became a free agent again.
Final Playing Days with the Pittsburgh Pirates
In 2011, Barajas signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played 104 games for them in 2012. He hit 11 home runs and had 31 RBIs. The Pirates decided not to keep him for the 2013 season.
He briefly signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks again in 2013. However, he was released before the season started.
Rod Barajas's Coaching Career
After his playing career, Rod Barajas became a baseball manager and coach.
- In 2014, he became a manager for a minor league team called the Arizona League Padres.
- He later managed the San Antonio Missions and the El Paso Chihuahuas. These are also minor league teams.
In October 2018, Barajas became the bench coach for the San Diego Padres. On September 21, 2019, he was named the interim manager for the Padres. This meant he was in charge for a short time. He managed the last eight games of that season. After that, he became the Padres' catching and quality control coach.
In 2022, Barajas was hired by the Miami Marlins. He worked as their quality assurance coach for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. In February 2025, he was announced as a coach for the Los Angeles Angels' Double-A team, the Rocket City Trash Pandas.
Rod Barajas's Family Life
Rod Barajas comes from a Mexican background. His parents are from Baja California. He is married to Stacie. They have four sons: Andrew, Bryce, Rod Jr., and Jace. They also have four daughters: Aunalilia, Aubrielle, Starlette, and Emiko.
Rod went to Santa Fe High School and Cerritos Community College. He grew up in Norwalk, California.
