July 16, 2002

Rod Barajas makes most of reserve role

“I just want to be able to go out there every fifth day and do the best I can to help the team.”  Those were the words of former Cerritos College catcher Rod Barajas, who is now in his third season in the big leagues for the Arizona Diamondbacks. As the regular catcher for starting pitcher Miguel Batista, Barajas knows he will get a chance to start every fifth day. He made the most of a surprise start last weekend at Dodger Stadium, and clubbed a two-run home run in front of 30 family and friends.

With a back injury to All-Star catcher Damian Miller, Barajas has now started the last three games and has gone 4-for-10 with a home run and three RBI’s. He has brought his batting average up from .169 to .194 and with another multi-hit game, he could see it climb over the .200 mark.

During the 2001 season, Batista went to manager Bob Brenly and requested to have Barajas be his personal catcher every time he starts. Bautista liked the way Barajas called his game and has flourished in his role.

Last year was a memorable year for Barajas, as he stuck with the big league team all season and helped them win the World Series. Game 5 of last year’s Fall Classic will be remembered as one of the most exciting games in recent history as the New York Yankees came from behind to win the game when Scott Brosius clubbed a two-run home run in the ninth inning to tie the game. The Yankees went on to win the game in the 11^th inning. When Diamondbacks closer Byung-Hyun Kim gave up the home run, Barajas can be seen dropping his head in the catcher’s position. But what was lost in the game was a home run by Barajas in his first post-season start ever. It was the first home run since April 21 for the seldom-used catcher.

Rod Barajas

“I didn’t know I was starting until about an hour before the game,” stated Barajas, who came in to replace Miller, who was out with a calf strain. “That was the best way to find out. If I knew the night before, I probably wouldn’t have slept at all. I didn’t have time to call my wife (Stacie) or any other family. I knew they would be watching the game anyway. It was so sudden that I was running on adrenaline the entire time.”

In his first World Series at-bat, Barajas singled off Mike Mussina. In the fifth inning, Barajas gave the Diamondbacks the lead with a solo shot off Mussina. “When I hit the ball, I knew I hit it well,” recalled Barajas.

“I remember seeing the ball clear the fence, but I was drawing a complete blank while running around the bases,” added Barajas. “It didn’t really hit me until I got back to the dugout and all the guys were congratulating me and hitting me on the helmet. After I had time to let it sink in a little, it dawned on me that I had just hit a home run where the greatest players had ever played. Guys like Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle. It was sheer joy. I went from actually being scared to go out on the field when we got to the stadium that day to hitting a home run there. That was the single greatest moment of my professional career.”

Things weren’t always that exciting for Barajas. After earning All-American honors for the Falcons in 1995, as he led the team to the State Championship game, Barajas was one of the first players ever signed by the Diamondbacks when they were awarded a franchise. He was signed after participating in a tryout camp at Golden West College, which is almost unheard of these days. With only 10 players under contract, he was loaned off to another team to play A-ball. After the June draft, the organization had enough players to formulate a Rookie League team and Barajas was sent to play with them.

“I remember getting a call from (former Falcon) Luis Medina, who was the West Coast scouting supervisor for the Diamondbacks,” said Cerritos baseball head coach Ken Gaylord. “He asked me if we had anyone who could come for the tryout. Well, even though Rod was being recruited by such schools as Miami, Texas and Oklahoma State, there was no certainty that he would be able to get in to any of them. He did a great job at the tryout and was offered a contract right away.”

“That first year after I signed was really a struggle for me,” said Barajas. “After signing with them and being loaned off, I wondered what was going to happen to me. Thank God the Diamondbacks saw something in me and didn’t give up on me. I was fortunate enough to be able to make it through their organization and I love it here.”

Barajas, who also was a first baseman for the Falcons in his freshman year, credits learning the position to help his rise up the minor league ranks. He stated that it allowed him to be more versatile and he made himself available to be used in an emergency situation. On every given opportunity, Barajas still takes ground balls at first base and says he is ready to play the position anytime they call on him.

“Playing at Cerritos was an unbelievably valuable opportunity for me,” said Barajas. “I learned so much from my time there, playing for Coach Gaylord and all the other guys. I remember the camaraderie of all the players and the great friendships I made. It was a great place to play and learn the game and I will always remember my time there.”

Coming out of Santa Fe Springs High, Barajas spent his freshman season at Cerritos as the team’s first baseman and designated hitter. He saw some time behind the plate, although the everyday catcher was Dusty Wathan, son of former major league catcher and manager John Wathan. After batting .347 with four home runs and 33 RBI, he was named 1^st Team All-South Coast Conference as the designated hitter. He broke out his sophomore year, batting .387 with nine home runs and 45 RBI. He also clubbed 13 doubles and scored 40 runs as the Falcons won the South Coast Conference championship.

“When Rod got here, he turned out to be a lot better than I thought he would be,” said Gaylord. “He’s a big guy and real athletic. I think his only drawback was his arm strength. When he got here, he was a little erratic behind the plate. One day he would look great and the next, he wouldn’t look very good. But he continued to work hard every day. He was the kind of guy who had to grow into his body.”

The team made their way through the playoffs, as they swept Rio Hondo in the first round. They had to face Cypress three times in the second round, but advanced to the State Championships with a 4-3 win. After opening the State Championships with an 11-5 win over Sacramento City, they dropped a 12-4 decision to Rancho Santiago (now Santa Ana), which put them in the loser’s bracket. The team came back to eliminate Fresno City, which put them in the championship game against Rancho Santiago. In 100-degree heat, the Falcons didn’t have enough in their tanks, as they lost 12-2.

“Even though we lost the state championship game, it was still a great experience for me,” remembered Barajas. “Not a lot of people thought we would do well that year and we went out there every day and tried to prove them wrong. We had a young team and the young pitchers we had carried us all season. We were able to focus on the job at hand and get the job done.”

After his sophomore year, Barajas took summer classes and even spent time as a volunteer assistant coach before he was informed about the tryout. Barajas even took time to throw batting practice, which Gaylord feels helped strengthen his arm, which made him a more well-rounded player.

“I really think that the time he spent throwing BP gave him a more accurate and stronger arm,” remembered Gaylord. “He worked on staying in shape, and I really think that helped him out a lot.”

Now that Barajas is in the big leagues, he has the luxury of being around veteran pitchers such as Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson every day. The two have combined to win 359 big league games, while Johnson has won four Cy Young Awards. Schilling, who is the front-runner for the award this season, has noticed a distinct change in Barajas.

“Rod has done a remarkable job of refining his skills,” said Schilling. “He works hard everyday and is always asking questions. That’s the sign of someone who is dedicated to their job. He has shown everyone in the organization that he is dedicated to getting better and is dedicated to winning. He is a great addition to the team and contributes whenever he takes the field.”

One of the greatest attributes of Barajas is his willingness to ask questions of veterans. He stated that being around a veteran ballclub has helped him tremendously, while he also talks with other back-up catchers from other teams to see how they approach their jobs.

His manager, Brenly, concurs. “Rod has really impressed us with his willingness to listen and learn. He is a young guy with a lot of talent and he is accepting his role as a reserve right now. Being a former catcher myself, I understand what it takes to be a big league catcher. Rod exemplifies all of those qualities and we are fortunate to have someone of his caliber backing up Damian Miller.”

“I am so fortunate to be in this situation here in Arizona,” said Barajas. “We have a lot of leaders on this team and they all take the time to teach. No information from them is bad and my ears are wide open when they are talking. I hope the management here decides to keep me around for the remainder of my career, because I am very happy to be part of this organization.”