Rod Barajas celebrates his 51st birthday today.
Barajas spent two seasons with the Blue Jays from 2008 to 2009, during a 14-year major league career.
In 2008, the Jays signed Barajas as a backup to Gregg Zaun. Around that time, three significant events occurred:
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Zaun missed about three weeks with an injury.
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The Jays fired John Gibbons and hired Cito Gaston.
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Barajas hit a little hot streak.
Like many catchers, Barajas was a streaky hitter. In May 2008, he hit .370/.424/.630—numbers that exceeded his usual performance, but the timing was ideal. With a new manager in Cito Gaston, first impressions mattered, and Barajas seized his opportunity by playing daily and impressing Gaston. Although his numbers dipped to .179/.188/.269 in July, he had already won over Cito. Zaun, meanwhile, was understandably unhappy about losing his job due to injury.
Barajas may have been the better choice regardless—he was an excellent defensive catcher, throwing out 34% of base stealers during his two seasons with the Jays. He was tough, skilled at blocking the plate, and a solid receiver with occasional power. After the season, Zaun departed as a free agent.
Barajas posted a .237/.275/.406 slash line over 229 games with Toronto, hitting 30 home runs, driving in 120 runs, walking 37 times, and striking out 137 times across those two seasons.
Over his 14-year career, Barajas hit .235/.284/.407 with 136 home runs and 480 RBI, playing for seven different teams.
Candy Maldonado celebrates his 66th birthday today.
Maldonado played three seasons for the Blue Jays, joining the team via a trade from the Brewers on August 9, 1991, in exchange for Bob Wishnevski and William Suero (obscure names, even for die-hard fans). He played for Toronto during the 1992 World Series season before leaving as a free agent, only to re-sign at the start of the 1995 season.
The standout season was 1992, when Maldonado hit .272/.357/.462 with 20 home runs and 66 RBI in 137 games, primarily in left field. While not an outstanding outfielder, he did lead the AL in assists that year with 12. In the ALCS, he batted .273/.360/.545 with 2 home runs and 6 RBI. His World Series performance dipped to .158/.238/.316 with 1 home run and 2 RBI, but all was forgiven thanks to the championship—and his lone World Series ring.
I always liked Maldonado. He may not have been a superstar, but he certainly had his moments. As a Blue Jay, he hit .272/.363/.462 with 34 home runs and 119 RBI in 250 games. Over his 15-year career, he posted a .254/.322/.424 line with 146 home runs and 618 RBI in 1,410 games. He is a member of both the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame and the Puerto Rico Hall of Fame.
Happy Birthday to both Rod Barajas and Candy Maldonado.
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