SEATTLE — Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated took a different look at baseball this week with an article titled “Heroes of the First Half.”
High on Heyman’s list was Padres bullpen coach Darrel Akerfelds, who has been battling pancreatic cancer while continuing his duties as the Padres bullpen coach.
Of Akerfelds, Heyman said: “An amazing man. While undergoing chemo treatments, he's helped the Padres pen to another fantastic season. Their 2.88 ERA is second best only to Atlanta's (2.71). In many respects, should be No. 1.”
The Padres, of course, have witnessed Akerfelds’ courageous fight since the first day of spring training.
He continues to travel with the team and go about his routine although he has started a stronger chemotherapy program in hopes of shrinking the tumor on the pancreas so that it can be surgically removed.
“Ack has been an inspiration to everyone around him,” Padres manager Bud Black said Friday.
“When we first heard about this last December, initially you brace for what it means. But Ack has continued to be the same guy. He is phenomenal. It’s amazing.
“Sometimes you have to check yourself, because of the way he handles himself, because you can lose sight of what he’s going through.”
“He’s still coaching and teaching,” said Bell. “When he’s feeling good, he wants to catch us. You know he’s dealing with a lot, but you’d never know that from Ack. He is a hero. He’s an inspiration.”
Padres reliever Mike Adams also made Heyman’s list.
Turning point?
Nick Hundley believes the Padres' “embarrassing” loss in Boston June 20 in the opener of a three-game series might have been a watershed event for the team.
“The first day there, they hammered us,” said the catcher, who returned to the lineup Friday night after missing four games with an irritated tendon in his elbow.
“We had to make the decision if we were going to sit there and take it . . . it got ugly and embarrassing.”
The Padres rebounded from that 14-5 loss with two wins in Boston that started a run of seven wins in eight games through the 5-1 homestand.
“Nothing is going to come easy for us, we know that” said Hundley. “We know how perfect we have to play to win. We have to out-play people.”
Hundley also admitted frustration with his personal season.
After hitting .339 with three homers and nine RBI through the first 19 games of the season, Hundley has hit .150 since with no homers and 12 RBI.
He missed 32 games while on the disabled (May 5-June 8) and was 2-for-29 in his first nine starts after his return. He was 5-for-15 with a double and two RBI in five starts leading up to his elbow problem last Saturday night.
Harang runs
Right-handed starter Aaron Harang ran Friday for the first time since going on the disabled list June 10 with a stress fracture of the third metatarsal in his right foot.
“It was a major step,” said Black. “He’s really turned the corner. We’re close to the point where we could look at the calendar.”
Black said Harang will likely need two rehab starts before returning to the Padres rotation. But those rehab starts might be completed by the end of the All-Star break.
Padres notes
--Left-handed reliever Joe Thatcher will throw a bullpen Monday and hopes he will be back in action by Aug. 1. “August was the original target date and it’s looking good,” said Thatcher, who hopes he will be in line for a rehab assignment after the All-Star break.
--The Padres wore their 1984 road uniforms Friday night in Seattle – sans the white shoes.