Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
This has been a tough season for Andrew Cashner.
But Major League Baseball supplied a silver lining last week when it named the right-handed starter the Padres' nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award -- which goes annually to a player for "positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship, community involvement and philanthropic work."
Earlier this year, Cashner's mother, Jane, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Her diagnosis came shortly after she celebrated the 10th anniversary of beating breast cancer.