Darrel Akerfelds

Early life and career

Akerfelds graduated from Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado in 1980, where he was named a Parade High School All-American as a linebacker in football. The Atlanta Braves drafted him in the ninth round of the 1980 Major League Baseball draft, but he chose to attend the University of Arkansas to play both football and baseball. At Arkansas, he played football under coach Lou Holtz and appeared in the 1981 Gator Bowl. He later transferred to Mesa State College to focus on baseball and was part of the 1982 Amateur World Series team that finished third.

In the 1983 draft, the Seattle Mariners selected him with the seventh overall pick in the first round. His brother Duane was also drafted by the Mariners in the 22nd round that same year but never played professionally. Just over five months later, Akerfelds was traded to the Oakland Athletics along with pitcher Bill Caudill for catcher Bob Kearney and pitcher Dave Beard. He made his major league debut with Oakland in 1986, recording the final 11 outs in a 10–1 loss to the Minnesota Twins while giving up four runs, and appeared in one more game for the A's that season.

Traded to Cleveland in July 1987, he spent the rest of that year in the majors, appearing in 16 games (13 as a starter) with a 2–6 record and a 6.75 ERA. After spending all of the following season in the minor leagues, he was removed from Cleveland's 40-man roster and selected by the Texas Rangers in the Rule 5 draft in December 1988. Akerfelds spent most of the next season in the minors, pitching in six Rangers games (all losses).

Later career

Akerfelds began 1991 in the majors but saw his ERA rise to 5.26. He was sent to the minor leagues in July, where he was converted back to a starter and made 11 starts for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, though his ERA climbed to 6.32 in Triple-A. After becoming a free agent, he signed with the Baltimore Orioles and spent several more seasons in the minors.

During the 1995 players' strike, he served as a replacement player with the Angels in spring training. When the strike ended, he became a coach with their Single-A affiliate and finished his playing career that year without returning to the majors. Following retirement, he spent 11 years as bullpen coach for the San Diego Padres, starting in 2001.