Don't Call It A Comeback
| 15
|
Remember Rick Ankiel? Well if you don't, here is a quick reminder of what he did in his time as pitcher.
In Game 1 of the 2000 NL Division Championship between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves Rick became only the second pitcher in major league history, the first in this century, to throw 5 wild pitches in an inning. In 2001 he attempted a comeback but again had control issues. He walked 25 batters and threw 5 wild pitches in 24 innings, and was sent down to AAA. Here his problems became almost cartoonish. In 4.1 innings, Ankiel walked an amazing 17 batters and threw 12 wild pitches, accumulating an ERA of 20.77.
His control problems forced him to rethink what position he would be playing if he wanted to play in the Major Leagues again. Well, it seems as if he found one. The Pacific Coast League outfield all-star has hit 32 home runs, drove in 89 RBIs and was hitting .267, including a 3 home run performance on June 16th at Iowa. In the field, Ankiel has 7 errors in 95 games and is the current HR leader in the Pacific Coast League.
Today the St. Louis Cardinals promoted Ankiel from AAA Memphis. He will bat 2nd and play right field. Talk about perseverance. I tip my hat to you Rick. Best of luck to you with your career in the outfield.
