When 57-year old Rodney Tafoya took the mound this past Saturday night at Rathert Field he was seeking his 456th career pitching victory. That didn't happen as the team he was pitching for, the Kansas City Knights, lost to the Brigade 13-6.
Tafoya started the game and went 4 2/3 innings, giving up 9 earned runs and 12 hits in the loss.
Rodney's goal is to reach 500 wins for his career which has spanned approximately five decades so far. "I'm about 92% through with my lifetime goal of winning 500 games."
Tafoya has pitched 13 seasons in Puerto Rico and also in Canada and Mexico along with many cities in the United States. "I just love to pitch and I've been blessed to pitch for five decades and hopefully in the next three or four years I can get 45 more."
Tafoya credits his conditioning as a factor in sustaining his success. "I've thrown about 80,000 thousand pitches, just a modest 120 per start. But I do 10 miles every morning at 7,000 feet where I live back in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the high country."
Tafoya pitched for his 180th team Saturday night and in his 680th game. It was his first visit to Rathert Field where he provided his impression of the facility. "I'd say superb, second to none. I'm impressed with the fast infield. I love the mound, synthetic mounds are great because everything is in symmetry. There's no holes you have to dodge or deal with." Tafoya called Rathert Field "very historic."