近距离内射合集

He stopped at the entrance of the room and leaned on his cane. The walk from the elevator and down the hallway had required some effort. Plenty still does these days.

All the lingering effects of a stroke from 2022 that nearly killed him and continues to impact the left side of his body, particularly his arm and his leg. There鈥檚 been rehab and therapy. There are good days and some that are tougher than others.

But none of that particularly bothered Rodney Tafoya at the moment. He adjusted his suit jacket, cracked some jokes and had already picked a story to tell. A second one was in the queue. Certainly a third and fourth. 

It was the baseball 鈥� the one on a nearby table and written on with black marker 鈥� that had caused a shift. There were a few tears as the 62-year-old stretched out his arm and before his hand closed around it.

鈥淢y mom and dad,鈥� Tafoya said Tuesday at Isotopes Park.

Their names were among those that had been signed. His father, Antonio, who fought at Normandy during World War II. His mother, Maude, who spent 40 years running a nursing home.

They were the ones who taught Tafoya and his siblings to hope and believe, to set goals and chase dreams. 

Both 鈥� especially Maude 鈥� served, in part, as an inspiration for Tafoya's new book, 鈥淚nside the Core: The Passion Lives On.鈥� It鈥檚 a painting of Maude鈥檚 heart inside the middle of a baseball that sits on the cover.

鈥�(It鈥檚 about) family, love, perseverance, faith,鈥� said Tafoya, who will have a book signing at the ballpark during the Isotopes鈥� Sept. 15 game against the Salt Lake Bees. 鈥淲hat more is there to like than those four things?鈥�

鈥淎nd then you have baseball.鈥�

It鈥檚 what Tafoya has long adored. And where those first four items 鈥� the ones his book is about 鈥� all intertwine. 

Tafoya had always dreamed about playing baseball. So much so he even consulted with an Ouija board in the fifth grade. He wanted to know if he could be a professional player. The board said yes. He set out to prove it right and those who doubted him wrong.

The left-hander started at St. Michael鈥檚 in Santa Fe and the sport took him to New Mexico Highlands and then professionally to Mexico, a few stops in Minor League Baseball and various independent leagues before embarking on the semi-pro route. It鈥檚 a journey that鈥檚 allowed him to traverse the 近距离内射合集 States and travel to countries like Puerto Rico, Canada and New Zealand. All while working as a bank executive during the later portions of his career.

In all, Tafoya compiled a 459-98 lifetime record between the different levels and pitched in 687 games. Since 1982 鈥� his first year in college 鈥� Tafoya has played for 199 teams. He released his first book, 鈥�,鈥� in 2012. It covers most of those milestone moments. 

And then the stroke happened. A month after Tofoya鈥檚 latest win. It was hemorrhagic, caused when a blood vessel bursts in or around the brain. He spent a month in a coma.

鈥淭hey gave me a 10% chance to live,鈥� Tofoya said, 鈥渨hich isn鈥檛 very good.鈥� 

It forced him to relearn things in different stages. Crawling was first. That took a year. His rehab gradually moved to walking with a cane and to quality-of-life skills like regaining use of his left arm and driving. Getting stronger has helped. During the early stages of his physical therapy, Tafoya could only lift five pounds. He鈥檚 now bench pressing 170. His goal by Christmas is 200.

鈥淲e鈥檙e all faced with these things in life that happen, but it鈥檚 how we choose to respond,鈥� Tafoya said. 鈥�... And I think that鈥檚 what my story is all about 鈥� inspiration to never give up, to fight and to live.

鈥�... It took me five years to find hope, independence and freedom. Now that I have it, I can do anything.鈥�

Part of that freedom to Tafoya means returning to the thing he holds dear. The baseball field. There鈥檚 still a goal he鈥檇 like to achieve.

Before the stroke, Tofoya set out to reach 512 wins, one more than Cy Young had in his MLB career. Now, it鈥檚 getting back to the mound by the time he鈥檚 70.

鈥淲e鈥檙e gonna come back,鈥� Tafoya said. 鈥淧itch by pitch, inning by inning, batter by batter. I only gotta pitch five innings to get a win, and 459 doesn鈥檛 sit well with me.鈥�

It鈥檚 the kind of perseverance he hopes can inspire others. Whether watching or reading.

David Glovach covers New Mexico 近距离内射合集 and other sports for the Journal. Reach him at dglovach@abqjournal.com or via X .