Long-time San Diego Padres Bullpen coach, Darrel Akerfelds, lost his two-year battle with pancreatic cancer on June 24th. Akerfelds held that position with the Padres since 2001.
On June 22, 2002, Jake Peavy made his MLB debut with the Padres. Peavy pitched for the Padres until he was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 2009. During Peavy’s time in San Diego, he became good friends with Akerfelds. Many say they were like brothers. Prior to Akerfelds’ death, Peavy helped raise over $50,000 through a benefit for pancreatic cancer research.
On Saturday, Peavy took the mound for the White Sox as they battled the New York Yankees. Prior to the game, Peavy pledged to donate $100 for every strikeout he threw. Peavy could have stopped there but he didn’t. He decided to donate $100 for every strikeout thrown in MLB on Saturday.
So, just how much money did Peavy donate? Here’s a look at the strikeouts by game:
National League:
- Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves: 14
- Houston Astros vs. Chicago Cubs: 14
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers: 23
- San Diego Padres vs. Colorado Rockies: 21
- New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: 7
- Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals: 19
- Cincinnati Reds vs. San Francisco Giants: 13
- Philadelphia Phillies vs. Miami Marlins: 13
American League:
- Cleveland Indians vs. Baltimore Orioles: 16
- Detroit Tigers vs. Tampa Bay Rays: 14
- Oakland Athletics vs. Texas Rangers: 16
- Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins (Game 1): 11
- Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins (Game 2): 9
- Boston Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners: 18
- Chicago White Sox vs. New York Yankees: 24
- Los Angels Angels vs. Toronto Blue Jays: 9
When it was all said and done, it was an expensive but worth-while day for Peavy. Total strikeouts for the day was 241, which means Peavy will donate $24,100 for pancreatic cancer research. Peavy himself pitched a complete game for the White Sox and struck out 11.
The Good in Sports extends their sympathies to the Akerfelds family, we are very sorry for your loss. We also want to recognize Jake Peavy for one of the greatest and most classy moves of the year.
We hope you enjoy our positive, uplifting sports news and content. We would love for you to follow us on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook, as we highlight athletes, coaches and teams being role models in our communities!
[...] Sankovich over at The Good in Sports reports on a great story about Jake Peavy honoring late Padres Bullpen coach Darrel [...]