"Hours before the first pitch, even more hours before he might be asked to throw the last pitch of the upcoming game, Heath Bell jogged back and forth between the left- and right-field lines at AT&T Park. Meanwhile, all of San Francisco seemed to be wondering excitedly which side Bell would be pitching for Wednesday night, the Padres or Giants.

Much as he was at the center of it, the tornado-like talk of trades and waiver-wire machinations seemed like so much silliness to Bell, given the import of the news he'd been hearing out of Texas.

"Dad came out of surgery well," said Bell, who ultimately didn't pitch in the Padres' 2-1 loss to the Giants. "Tough man. Marine. Don't give up."

Jim Bell, so often seen in the stands or the Padres clubhouse as he battled the ravages of cancer the past few years, underwent open-heart surgery Wednesday. The procedure had been scheduled for two months, during which time Bell not only dealing as an All-Star closer, but dealing with daily rumors that he would be dealt by the Padres.

"It's kinda helped me get through all the trade and waiver stuff," said Bell. "Everybody's talking about that and I'm thinking, "Man, I'm just glad my dad's doing well.' ""