Rod Tafoya

Joseph Rodney Tafoya

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 9", Weight 185 lb.
• School New Mexico Highlands University, Newman University
• High School St. Michael's High School
• Born May 7, 1964 in Santa Fe, NM USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Rod Tafoya began his professional career in 1987 at 23 years old and was still pitching professionally deep into his 50s. His pro career has stretched four decades and taken him to three different countries.

He began with the Rieleros de Aguascalientes of the Mexican League in 1987, going 0-2 with a 12.38 ERA. He then pitched for the Boise Hawks in 1989, going 3-4 with a 3.26 ERA in 12 games (9 starts). He made 3 starts for the Erie Sailors in 1990, going 1-2 with a 12.34 ERA; in 11 2/3 innings, he allowed 21 hits (including 5 home runs) and 5 walks. He did not pitch professionally again until he was 33, going 6-4 with a 9.71 ERA in 19 games (14 starts) for the Regina Cyclones of the independent Prairie League in 1997.

He again experienced a significant lull in his career, this one lasting a decade-and-a-half, as he did not pitch professionally from 1998 to 2011. He found a new home in the Pecos League in 2012, however, suiting up for the Santa Fe Fuego at 48 years old. He was 0-3 with an 8.88 ERA in 10 games (6 starts), allowing 50 hits in 24 1/3 innings. He then made at least one appearance (but no more than four) in the Pecos League each year from 2013 to 2016, took a break in 2017, and has made a single appearance each season since. he was 57 years old at the time of his most recent showing in 2021, when he tossed 1/3 of a scoreless inning for the Alpine Cowboys.

To date, he is 10-15 with a 7.69 ERA in 58 games (38 starts) overall, per records available. In 181 1/3 innings, he has allowed 281 hits, 33 home runs and 69 walks, while striking out 128 batters. He has played for 6 teams in his 9 seasons in the Pecos League and for 10 teams in his 13-year career. He also managed briefly, leading the Fuego to a 9-24 record in 2016 after taking over the helm partway through the season.

When not playing professionally, he spent time in numerous adult and amateur leagues, as well as in lower-level leagues in Mexico. Including his time at those levels, he has supposedly won over 300 career games. He is a member of the New Mexico State Hall of Fame.

He authored the 2013 book Ageless Arm: My Passion Lives in the Core.

In early 2022, he suffered a stroke.

Further Reading

• NM Hall of Fame page
• Interview with Tafoya
• Herron: St. Mike’s great Tafoya not giving up after stroke
• Newman Alumni Rodney Tafoya continues to rewrite baseball history