James Darnell's teammates in San Antonio loved to give the 24-year-old third baseman nicknames. Among the favorites for the Danville, Calif., native were "Mr. Incredible" and the "Darling of Danville."
One of Darnell's former teammates, Cody Decker, was the ringleader and even managed to post some of the nicknames to Darnell's Wikipedia page.
"That was all Cody Decker," Darnell said laughing. "He had to be the one that put that up there. They were calling me all that stuff. I was hitting like .600 at the beginning of the year, so they were having fun and giving me all those nicknames."
Darnell hasn't quite been Mr. Incredible in his 19 games with Tucson, but pretty close.
The former South Carolina standout has six home runs, 11 RBIs and 12 walks since joining Tucson from Double-A San Antonio.
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"He's doing a really good job," said manager Terry Kennedy before Friday's 6-1 victory over Colorado Springs. "This is the best pitching he's ever faced, and he's surviving. He's doing everything we expected."
It's been an eventful month for Darnell, who's riding a high.
Darnell got a call in late June from his agent that he was selected to play in the Major League Baseball's Futures Game, which takes place two days before the big league All-Star Game and features baseball's best prospects.
Six days before his appearance in the Futures Game, Darnell was promoted from San Antonio to Tucson. In his first game with the Padres, Darnell went 3 for 5, and one game later he hit his first Triple-A home run.
He joined the team on a road trip to Fresno, Calif., and then left early for the Futures Game in Phoenix, where he had an experience of a lifetime.
"They really make you feel like a big-league all-star," Darnell said. "Any time you're at a big-league stadium, it reminds you of what you're working for and your dream. It's motivation. I wasn't nervous. Stuff like that for me is just fun. People just want to see your skill and talent."
At age 24, Darnell was the oldest player in the Futures Game but is clearly a top prospect for San Diego. After a rough 2010 season that saw him struggle as a professional for the first time and suffer a right hand injury, the third baseman, who can also play left field quickly re-established himself in San Antonio at the start of the year.
After 76 games in Double-A where he hit 17 home runs and drove in 62 runs with a .333 batting average, Darnell was back as a top-tier prospect.
"Coming into the year, I didn't look at as a bounce-back season," Darnell said. "I've wanted to be in the big leagues since I was 8. I know I can do it. I just had to battle through that adversity and become a better player because of it."
Inside pitch
• Reliever Joe Thatcher, who is with Tucson on a rehab assignment, is expected to throw an inning today in Salt Lake City, Kennedy said. Thatcher, who is recovering from left shoulder surgery, has five total appearances for Tucson and has allowed just one hit and no runs in his last four. It could be his last rehab outing, especially if San Diego trades one of its relievers, which it is expected to do.
• Right-hander Evan Scribner was unavailable again Friday because of a right lat sprain. Kennedy said the team wasn't going to put him on the disabled list, meaning the Padres were working with a five-man bullpen the past two games. The manager said he isn't sure when Scribner will be available again.
Today
• What: Padres at Salt Lake, 6:05 p.m.
