The Luna Legacy: seven members of the Luna family are inducted into the El Paso Fastpitch Hall of Fame

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The Luna family have etched their name both literally and figuratively into the El Paso Fastpitch community.

"Softball and baseball have been in our family since we were born," Sergio Luna said.

The Luna family consists of six brothers, with an age gap of 16 years from oldest to youngest. There's Hector, otherwise known as Tati, Jaime, Mando, Javier, Rafa, and the youngest, Sergio.

"I got all the hand-me-downs, but they were good hand-me-downs," Sergio said.

The best of all the hand-me-downs - the love for fastpitch softball.

"He followed me all the way to Mexico City and we played up there and he was only about 10-12 years old," Jaime said.

Jaime first started playing fastpitch in 1957. He made the Mexican National team three times, represented the State of Chihuahua in the National Championships and as a pitcher, he says he won more than 200 games.

"They were behind 10-0 in the first inning and he came in as relief," Sergio said. "They won the game, the championship game and it put them into the state championships and watching him get hoisted on their shoulders it just brings a tear to my eye. Growing up he was my idol."

Tati was the only brother who didn't follow in the footsteps of Jaime. When he was 14, he became totally blind. Even though Tati couldn't see, it was his name that steered the vision of the Luna legacy.

In the mid-60s, the Luna brothers decided to form their own organization.

"We were looking for names and the lions and all sorts of mascots [were thrown around] and it occurred to someone, why don't we call it Tatis," Sergio said. "He was always around growing up."

Tatis Sports Club lasted for 44 years and it's a big reason why now four of the six brothers (Tati for sponsor/organizer, Jaime, Rafa, and Sergio) are in the El Paso Fastpitch Hall of Fame. Tati was inducted in 1986, Jaime in 2022, while Rafa and Sergio etched their name into the hall of fame this year.

The Luna legacy extends far beyond the brothers - three of the 2nd generation of Luna fastpitch players are also in the hall of fame (Juan in 2018, Marco and Hector in 2022).

"When they were short a player they'd put us in," Hector Luna Jr. said. "13 years old, 12 years old they would always put us in right field because that's not where they could hit the ball they'd say just go get the ball and throw it back to the infield."

Fastpitch hooked the Lunas too the moon and back, which is why having seven members in the hall of fame is made that bit sweeter.

"It was a family game, we loved the game, we treasured the game," Hector Jr. said.

"I feel very proud, it's the greatest thing for me, it's the greatest feeling that I have," Jaime said.

"It means the world, I wish our parents were here, it's just overwhelming I can't express it," Sergio said.

For the Lunas it was never about building a legacy, but simply about their love of the game.