This WILL be a movie some day...

The life and times of Rick Ankiel

Early career

At Port St. Lucie High School in Florida, Ankiel went 11-1 with a 0.47 ERA during his senior season, striking out 162 batters in 74.0 innings pitched, and was named the High School Player of the Year by USA Today in 1997, and was also named first team High School All-American pitcher.

He signed with the Cardinals straight out of high school, given a $2.5 million signing bonus, the fifth highest ever given to an amateur player. In 1998 he was Carolina League All-Star starting pitcher, Baseball America 1st team Minor League All-Star starting pitcher and voted the best pitching prospect in both the Carolina and Midwest leagues, and Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year.

In 1999, he was named the Minor League Player of the Year by both USA Today and Baseball America. He was also Texas League All-Star pitcher, Double-A All-Star starting pitcher, Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year, and Baseball America 1st team Minor League All-Star starting pitcher. He was considered one of the finest pitching prospects in several years.

[edit] Major Leagues

Ankiel debuted in 1999 in Montreal, against the Expos. He pitched his first full season in 2000 at the age of 20 (2nd youngest in the league), in which he posted an 11-7 record and a 3.50 ERA (9th in the league) and 194 strikeouts (7th in the league) in 30 games started for St. Louis. The most impressive of Ankiel's stats showed his dominance over hitters - he struck out batters at a rate of 9.98 strikeouts per nine innings (second in the National League only to Randy Johnson), and allowed only 7.05 hits per nine innings (second only to Chan Ho Park). He came in second (to Atlanta's Rafael Furcal) in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.

Ankiel threw a fastball in the 94-97 MPH range, and also possessed a heavy sinker with great movement, as well as his main strikeout pitch, a devastating 12-to-6 curveball.

[edit] Downfall

The Cardinals won the National League Central Division championship in 2000. Injuries to other pitchers left Ankiel and Darryl Kile as the only fully healthy starters left on the Cardinal roster. Wanting to maximize their appearances, and due to the fact that Ankiel, only 20 years old and without much major league experience, needed four days of rest between starts, manager Tony La Russa chose Ankiel to start Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, against veteran Braves pitcher Greg Maddux. Also wanting to shield Ankiel from the inevitable pressures of such a role, La Russa had Kile answer questions to the media as if he were starting Game 1, and it was only afterwards that he informed media members that Ankiel was in fact starting.

The Cardinals jumped to a lead early in Game 1, scoring six runs in the bottom of the first inning. Ankiel had walked two batters in the top of the first, as well as allowed a single, but escaped unscathed. He also allowed a double in the second inning, after striking out the leadoff batter, but ended the inning with a double play. It was in the third inning that Ankiel lost control. Here is the play-by-play from that inning:

Maddux walked; Furcal popped to Clark in foul territory; Ankiel threw a wild pitch (Maddux to second); Ankiel threw a wild pitch (Maddux to third); A. Jones walked; Ankiel threw a wild pitch (A. Jones to 2nd); C. Jones was called out on strikes; Galarraga walked (Maddux scored on wild pitch by Ankiel; A. Jones to 3rd); Jordan singled to Lankford (A. Jones scored, Galarraga to 2nd); Ankiel threw a wild pitch (Galarraga to 3rd, Jordan to 2nd); Sanders walked; Weiss singled to Lankford (Galarraga scored, Jordan scored, Sanders to 2nd); Mike James replaced Ankiel; López popped to Viña; 4 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Braves 4, Cardinals 6.

Ankiel shrugged off the event at first, joking about the fact that he was the first pitcher to throw five wild pitches in an inning since Bert Cunningham of the Players League in 1890. But in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets, Ankiel was removed in the first inning. Of only 20 pitches thrown by Ankiel, five went past catcher Eli Marrero, including two official wild pitches. Ankiel appeared again in the seventh inning of game five, facing four hitters, walking two, and throwing two more wild pitches. The Cardinals lost the series four games to one to the Mets.

The source of Ankiel's problems was apparently not mechanical.[1] For that reason his decline has been compared to that of Steve Blass, who also became unable to consistently throw strikes for mysterious reasons.

[edit] Aftermath

Ankiel returned to the majors in 2001 but again had issues controlling his pitches, walking 25 batters and throwing 5 wild pitches in 24 innings, and was sent down to AAA. Here his problems became incredibly dramatic. In 4.1 innings, Ankiel walked an amazing 17 batters and threw 12 wild pitches, accumulating an ERA of 20.77. He was sent all the way down to the Rookie League Johnson City Cardinals, where he was successful as both a starting pitcher and a part-time designated hitter (sporting a .638 slugging percentage with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs in 105 at bats)[2]. He was voted Rookie Level Player of the Year, Appalachian League All-Star left handed pitcher, Rookie League All-Star starting pitcher, Appalachian League Pitcher of the Year, and Appalachian League All-Star designated hitter.

In 2002, Ankiel missed the whole season with a left elbow sprain. After being cleared to throw off the mound in December of that year, Ankiel returned to the minors in 2003, posting a 6.20 ERA in 10 starts before undergoing, in July, season-ending Tommy John surgery for his left elbow. In 54.1 innings he walked 49 batters and threw 10 wild pitches.

Ankiel returned to the majors in September 2004, posting a 5.40 ERA in five relief appearances. Ankiel's control was impressive, as he walked just one while striking out nine in ten innings. In the minors, similarly, he walked only 2 batters in 23.2 innings, while striking out 23.

On March 9, 2005, after a successful winter pitching in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League, Ankiel suddenly announced that he was switching to the outfield[3], after an unsuccessful practice outing in which his wildness reappeared, as he threw only three strikes out of 20 pitches. He slugged .514 in single A, and .515 in double A, with 5 outfield assists in 55 games.

In 2006, Ankiel was invited to spring training with the major league squad again, but this time as an outfielder. He had a slim chance to make the team as a reserve player. His fielding impressed scouts and managers, and he has shown flashes of power hitting in the minor leagues. [4] However, he injured his left knee before the season started; he had to have season-ending surgery on it on May 26, 2006.

[edit] 2007 season

Ankiel was invited to the Cardinals' 2007 spring training. In mid-March manager Tony LaRussa said Ankiel probably didn't figure into the mix at the big-league level, but rather needed to play regularly at Class AAA Memphis as he continued his conversion from pitching. "It isn't because he isn't capable," La Russa said. "(But) unless you can guarantee that he would get 400 or 500 at-bats, it would be a bad move for him and for us."[5]

On Memorial Day May 28, 2007 Ankiel hit two home runs in Round Rock, Texas against the Round Rock Express. He also hit an RBI double and made a running over-the-shoulder catch in deep center field that saved two runs.

Ankiel was named a starting outfielder for the 2007 Triple-A All-Star Game. Through August 8, he had 32 home runs, 89 RBIs and was hitting .267, including a 3 home run performance on June 16th at Iowa. Defensively, Ankiel had 7 errors in 95 games, and was the current HR leader in the Pacific Coast League at the time of his callup.

[edit] Return to the Majors

On August 9, 2007, the Cardinals promoted Ankiel from AAA Memphis after a roster spot was vacated by Scott Spiezio due to a self reported drug problem. Ankiel batted second and played right field. In his first game in his return to the big leagues, Ankiel hit a three run home run off Doug Brocail to right field in his fourth at bat in the seventh inning to help the Cardinals defeat the San Diego Padres, 5-0. He finished 1-for-4 on the game with two strikeouts and a pop-up to the shortstop.[6]