baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

catcher Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

interim manager Interim management is the temporary provision of management resources and skills. Interim management can be seen as the short-term assignment of a proven heavyweight interim executive manager to manage a period of transition, crisis or change with ...

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

2001 World Series The 2001 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2001 season. The 97th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Arizona Diamondbacks and the three-t ...

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

Mexico national baseball team The Mexico national baseball team (Spanish: ''Selección de béisbol de México'') is the baseball team that represents Mexico in international tournaments. It is currently the 4th-ranked baseball team in the world. Roster Results and fixtures ...

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...

Lethbridge Black Diamonds The Lethbridge Black Diamonds were a minor league baseball team located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.Pioneer League (Rk), the lowest level of the minors as a rookie, but excelled, hitting .337 in 51 games. He played his way to the top of the minor leagues in the Diamondbacks' system. Barajas made his Major League debut for the Diamondbacks on September 25, 1999, against the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

. He was hitless in three at-bats in that game. He hit his first career home run in the last game of the season on October 3, 1999, against the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

, a line-drive to left-center field off of

Heath Murray Heath Robertson Murray (born April 19, 1973) is an American former Major League Baseball player. A pitcher, Murray played for the San Diego Padres (1997 and 1999), Detroit Tigers (2001), and Cleveland Indians (2002). He played college baseball ...

. He played in a total of 10 games with the Diamondbacks in 1999 and 2000. He homered twice and did not commit a single error while playing catcher. Barajas struggled at the plate in 2001, hitting just .160 in 51 games, though he only committed one error while serving as a backup for

Damian Miller Damian Donald Miller (born October 13, 1969) is a former professional baseball catcher. He won the 2001 World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks, beating the New York Yankees. High school years Miller attended West Salem High School in West S ...

. He was on the Diamondbacks' World Series roster. In Game 5 of the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

, he homered off

Mike Mussina Michael Cole Mussina (born December 8, 1968), nicknamed "Moose", is an American former baseball starting pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1991–2000) and the New York Yankees (2001–2008). ...

of the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

. Barajas continued to serve as a backup for Miller in 2002. In 70 games, he hit .234 with three home runs and 23 RBI. Despite the poor offensive numbers in 2002, Barajas did not commit a single error behind the plate. In 2003, he pulled off similar numbers in 80 games, batting just .218 with three home runs and 28 RBI. He became a free agent after the season.

Texas Rangers

Before , Barajas had never played more than 80 games, hit more than three home runs, or batted higher than .234 in a full season. In January 2004, the Texas Rangers signed Barajas to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. He won the backup catcher's job during the spring and made the team's Opening Day roster. After starting catcher

Gerald Laird Gerald Lee Laird III (born November 13, 1979) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, and Arizona Diamondbacks. C ...

was sidelined with a sprained thumb, Barajas took over the starting job with Laird and

Danny Ardoin Daniel Wayne Ardoin (born July 8, 1974) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played five seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2000 to 2008 for the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Orioles, a ...

serving as his backups. At the end of the season, he established career highs in games played (108),

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s (15), RBIs (58), and

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

(.249). Barajas also played some first base when needed, compiling ten career games there as a defensive replacement, through the season. In 2005, he hit .254 with a career-high 21 home runs and 60 RBI in 120 games, serving as the starter once again. In 2006, he split time with Laird at catcher, and finished the season batting .256 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI in 97 games.

Philadelphia Phillies

In November , Barajas was originally going to sign a two-year, $5.25 million deal with the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

, but he backed out of the deal at the last minute, claiming he never approved the contract, and fired both of his agents. On December 18, 2006, it was announced that he had reached an agreement with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

for a one-year, $2.5 million deal, worth less than half of the Blue Jays' offer a month earlier. Barajas claimed he was happy with the new deal and had no regrets. He shared time behind the plate with Carlos Ruiz, and batted .230 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 48 games with the Phillies. On October 11, 2007, the Phillies declined his option, making him a free agent. 001U4543 Rod Barajas (cropped)

Toronto Blue Jays

On January 24, , Barajas signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

, the team he backed out of a contract with the previous off-season, this time as the backup to incumbent catcher Gregg Zaun. Zaun had signed a two-year deal with the team only after negotiations with Barajas fell apart. Blue Jays general manager J. P. Ricciardi said he had no hard feelings towards Barajas. Zaun was supposed to be the starting catcher, but due to his poor offensive numbers and overall difficulties, manager

Cito Gaston Clarence Edwin "Cito" Gaston (; born March 17, 1944) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. His major league career as a player lasted from 1967 to 1978, most notably with the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves. He spent his en ...

made Barajas the starter after he took over for

John Gibbons John Michael Gibbons (born June 8, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player and former manager of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Gibbons briefly played in the Major Leagues as a catcher with the New York Me ...

, and he continued in that role in 2009. He finished the 2008 season batting .249 with 11 home runs, 49 RBIs, a .294 on-base percentage, and a .410 slugging percentage over 104 games. Barajas finished the 2009 season batting .226 with 19 home runs and a career high 71 RBI in 125 games.

New York Mets

On February 24, 2010, Barajas signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

and was named the opening day catcher. On May 7, 2010, he hit the first walk-off home run in the history of

Citi Field Citi Field is a baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in New York City, United States. It opened in 2009 and is the home field of Major League Baseball's New York Mets. The stadium was built as a replacement for the adjacent ...

, giving him three multi-home run games in his first five weeks as a Met. Barajas became the first Met catcher to hit 12 or more home runs since

Mike Piazza Michael Joseph Piazza ( ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1992 to 2007. He currently serves as the manager of the Italian national baseball te ...

's last year with the Mets in 2005. Rod Barajas (2011)

Los Angeles Dodgers

On August 22, 2010, Barajas was claimed off waivers by the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

and acquired for cash considerations. In his first game with Los Angeles against the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

, Barajas hit two doubles and a three-run home run. Barajas became the first Dodger to hit three extra-base hits in his first game with the club. In his first home game in Dodger Stadium, Barajas hit a home run in the fifth inning. Barajas appeared in 25 games with the Dodgers in 2010, hitting .297 with five home runs and 13 RBI. On December 3, 2010, he re-signed with the Dodgers on a one-year, $3.25 million deal for 2011. In 2011, he played in 98 games with the Dodgers, hitting .230 with 16 home runs and 47 RBI. He became a free agent after the season.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On November 10, 2011, Barajas signed a one-year contract with a club option for 2013 with the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

. He batted .206 with 11 home runs and 31 RBI in 104 games as a Pirate in 2012. The Pirates declined his 2013 option on October 31, 2012.

Return to Diamondbacks

On February 8, 2013, Barajas signed a minor-league deal with the Diamondbacks, but the Diamondbacks released him on March 25.

Managing and coaching career

Before the 2014 season, Barajas was named manager of the

Arizona League Padres The Arizona Complex League Padres are a Rookie-level affiliate of the San Diego Padres, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona, which is also ...

. Barajas replaced

Jamie Quirk James Patrick Quirk (; born October 22, 1954) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1975 to 1992. Quirk was a member of the world champion 1985 Kansas City Royals team. ...

as the manager of the

San Antonio Missions The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in San Antonio, Texas, and are named for the Spanish missions around which the city was founded. ...

on June 17, 2015, after Quirk was promoted to coach at Triple-A El Paso. Because the game was postponed by rain, his debut occurred with a double-header on June 18 against the

Midland RockHounds The Midland RockHounds are a Minor League Baseball team based in Midland, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics major league club. The RockHounds play in Momentum Bank Ballpark, w ...

. He was later the manager for the

El Paso Chihuahuas The El Paso Chihuahuas are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in El Paso, Texas, and play their home games at Southwest University ...

AAA baseball team. In October 2018, he was named as the bench coach for the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

. On September 21, 2019, Barajas was named the interim manager for the Padres following the team's firing of Andy Green. Barajas managed the Padres' last eight games of the season, going 1–7. He was named the Padres catching and quality control coach prior to the 2020 season.

Personal life

Barajas is of Mexican descent. His mother and father are from

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...

and

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

, respectively. He and his wife Stacie have four sons, Andrew, Bryce, Rod Jr. and Jace, and four daughters, Aunalilia, Aubrielle, Starlette and Emiko. Rod attended Santa Fe High School,

Santa Fe Springs, California Santa Fe Springs (''Santa Fe'', Spanish for "Holy Faith") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. The population was 16,223 at the 2010 census, down from 17,4 ...

and Cerritos Community College. He lived in Norwalk, California for most of his childhood.

References

External links

Rod Barajas
at Ultimate Mets Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Barajas, Rod 1975 births Living people American baseball players of Mexican descent American expatriate baseball players in Canada Arizona Diamondbacks players Baseball coaches from California Baseball players from California Cerritos Falcons baseball players El Paso Diablos players Gulf Coast Mets players High Desert Mavericks players Lakewood BlueClaws players Lancaster JetHawks players Lethbridge Black Diamonds players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball bench coaches Major League Baseball catchers New York Mets players People from Ontario, California Philadelphia Phillies players Pittsburgh Pirates players Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players Reading Phillies players St. Lucie Mets players San Antonio Missions managers San Diego Padres coaches San Diego Padres managers Texas Rangers players Toronto Blue Jays players Tucson Sidewinders players Visalia Oaks players 2009 World Baseball Classic players

Professional career

Arizona Diamondbacks

Texas Rangers

Philadelphia Phillies

Toronto Blue Jays

New York Mets

Los Angeles Dodgers

Pittsburgh Pirates

Return to Diamondbacks

Managing and coaching career

Personal life

References

External links