Two Members of Great Padres Bullpens Next on My List of 100
Akerfelds, Gregerson mainstays of relief pitching success
By Bill Center
Only one of the two pitched for the Padres, but the next two men on my list of 100 key contributors to the Padres spent most of their games in the Padres bullpen.
Welcome setup reliever Luke Gregerson and bullpen coach Darrel Akerfelds as Nos. 91 and 92, respectively, on my list.
Akerfelds was the Padres bullpen coach from 2001 until he died on June 24, 2012, of pancreatic cancer.
Gregerson played for the Padres from 2009 to 2013 and served mostly as the eighth-inning setup man for closers Heath Bell and Huston Street.
92. Bullpen coach Darrel Akerfelds
Akerfelds was more than the Padres’ bullpen coach from 2001 until his death. He was an aide, confidant and friend to Padres pitching coach Darren Balsley and leader of three bullpens that posted the lowest earned run average in the Major Leagues. Akerfelds was already the Padres bullpen coach when Balsley was named to replace Greg Booker as the Padres pitching coach on May 17, 2003, although many believed Akerfelds was in line for the job. Instead of expressing disappointment in being passed over, Akerfelds worked to make Balsley’s transition as easy as possible. Over the years, Akerfelds became one of the more respected and popular coaches in Padres’ history. He continued to be the Padres bullpen coach after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2011 through the time of his death at age 50.
91. Right-handed reliever Luke Gregerson
Only two pitchers appeared in more games as a Padre than Gregerson, who pitched in 363 games between 2009 and 2013. The 6-foot-3 Gregerson was acquired by the Padres on March 23, 2009, as the player to be named later to complete the trade that sent shortstop Khalil Greene to the St. Louis Cardinals. In five seasons with the Padres, Gregerson had a 17–22 record with 16 saves and a 2.88 earned run average. He had 352 strikeouts in 347 innings as a Padre. Gregerson held the lead in 132 Padres wins over five seasons and led the National League with 40 holds during the Padres’ 90-win season of 2010. During that season, Gregerson made a career-high 80 appearances, which is tied for the third-most in a single season in Padres’ history. The personable Gregerson was also a fan favorite who adopted the Southern California lifestyle by riding a skateboard between his downtown home and Petco Park.
The list thus far:
91. RHP Luke Gregerson
92. Bullpen coach Darrel Akerfelds
93. INF-OF Bip Roberts
94. C-1B Gene Tenace
95. 3B Graig Nettles
96. RHP Chris Young
97. RHP Scott Linebrink
98. CF Mike Cameron
99. C Chris Cannizzaro
100. SS Chris Gomez
