National League batters will have one less thing to worry about

[cartman]

:D

Cards' Ankiel converting to outfielder

Associated Press

JUPITER, Fla. - Rick Ankiel is ending a pitching career plagued by record wildness and will try to make the St. Louis Cardinals' roster as an outfielder.

Ankiel, 25, had yet to appear in a spring training game as he tried to revive a career interrupted by control problems and injuries. He was to have pitched in a "B" game Wednesday, but it was rained out.

"We are fully supportive of Rick's decision to convert to an everyday outfielder," Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said. "Rick will continue to train with the major league club this spring, and we look forward to seeing his development as a full-time batter and outfielder."

Ankiel missed most of the 2003 and 2004 seasons after reconstructive elbow surgery, and also sat out the entire 2002 season with a sprained left elbow.

The left-hander was 11-7 with a 3.50 ERA with 194 strikeouts in 175 innings in 2000 but developed record-setting wildness in the playoffs.

In the postseason opener against Atlanta, he became the first major league pitcher since 1890 to throw five wild pitches in one inning and had nine wild pitches in four innings during the postseason.

He went 1-2 with a 7.13 ERA in six starts for the Cardinals in 2001, walking 25 in 24 innings, then was sent to the minors. He didn't return until last Sept. 7 and made five late-season starts, going 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in 10 innings.

[BigJohn&TheLions]

Let's hope Keith Olberman's mother doesn't attend Cardinals games.

[Ksyrup]

I read that he was having some wildness issues this spring, but didn't think too much of it. I guess he did, though.

[Philliesfan980]

He'll be a double A player at best.

[tategter]

When was the last time a player was both a successful hitter and pitcher in the majors? Babe Ruth?

There have been several players in recent memory to be successful at both in the minors (John Olerud comes to mind), but who in the majors?

[flere-imsaho]

Shouldn't the title of this thread be "Cardinals' Catchers will have one less thing to worry about"?

[korme]

so much potential thrown down the drain

[MikeVic]

I remember when I was in a Baseball Mogul league, and everyone wanted to get this guy because his scouting report made him look like Pedro.

[Ksyrup]

so much potential thrown down the drain
As long as the drain is nowhere near the plate.

[dawgfan]

There have been several players in recent memory to be successful at both in the minors (John Olerud comes to mind), but who in the majors?

Minor clarification - Olerud never played in the minors. He was successful both as a pitcher and hitter in college with Washington State.

[WSUCougar]

Minor clarification - Olerud never played in the minors. He was successful both as a pitcher and hitter in college with Washington State.
Can I get an "Amen" brother dawgfan? AAAAAAAAAAAAmen!

As for Ankiel, what a travesty. This kid was universally recognized as the best pitching prospect at one time. He had electric stuff, had a great rookie season, then came that fateful playoff start. I remember thinking what an odd move it was by LaRussa to go with Ankiel in that situation. And then came The Meltdown. Nuke Laloosh. :(

What a pity. The Redbirds could well have had the best young hitter (Pujols) AND pitcher (Ankiel) in the game grow old together. Oh well.

[ISiddiqui]

I wonder if they'd tried the woman's underwear, breathe-through-your-eyes thing ;).

[Pumpy Tudors]

I haven't seen Ankiel hit, but isn't it possible that he could become a fairly decent outfielder? Even though I'm a Cardinals fan, I don't know their minor-league system very well. The last time I saw their AAA team play (the Memphis Redbirds came down to play New Orleans), they didn't seem to have any studs in their outfield. I do know that the St. Louis outfield certainly isn't stacked, so isn't there a chance that the Cards could find room for Ankiel in the next year or two? He's still young, and he at least has some hitting skills. I'm not saying that he's going to be an All-Star, but there are a lot of clowns playing outfield in the majors right now, and with the right development, he could certainly be better than many of them.

[WSUCougar]

Once he starts putting all of his efforts into hitting and fielding, I think he could be a decent outfielder. I don't think he'll embarrass himself. Major league level? I doubt it, but I'd like to be wrong. ;)

[Huckleberry]

cartman -

Why haven't you pointed out Brooks Kieschnick yet? For shame.

[dawgfan]

Can I get an "Amen" brother dawgfan? AAAAAAAAAAAAmen!

Olerud was a fantastic player in college. The Cougs haven't really been the same since he and Hatteberg left and Brayton retired as coach. Funny as it may sound, the Huskies have actually been the clearly superior baseball program over the last decade or so.

[tategter]

Minor clarification - Olerud never played in the minors. He was successful both as a pitcher and hitter in college with Washington State.

You're right, my bad.

[Ksyrup]

From an ESPN article:



Baseball is full of deceptions. Pitchers try to deceive batters. Managers use misdirection as a matter of strategy.

As once-promising St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Rick Ankiel (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6320) tries to resurrect his professional career as an outfielder, at least one such move has brought regrets.

Using Darryl Kile (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=4627) as a decoy when he intended to start Ankiel against Atlanta's Greg Maddux (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=3933) in the 2000 National League Division Series was "a big mistake," manager Tony La Russa told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in Thursday's editions.

The deception might have added to the pressure on then-rookie Ankiel, who made it to the majors that season at age 19 and was 11-7 with a 3.50 ERA. He led the team with 194 strikeouts in 175 innings.

After holding the Braves scoreless in the first two innings and being given a 6-0 lead, Ankiel became the first major league pitcher since 1890 to throw five wild pitches in one inning. He faced eight hitters in the inning, retired two and allowed four runs before being lifted. Ankiel finished the postseason with nine wild pitches and 11 walks in four innings.

In 2001, Ankiel went 1-2 with a 7.13 ERA in six starts for the Cardinals, walking 25 in 24 innings, then was sent to the minors. He didn't return until last Sept. 7 and made five late-season starts, going 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in 10 innings.

On Wednesday, Ankiel announced that he was giving up pitching to try to make the team as an outfielder.

"I don't have any regrets about starting Rick in Game 1," La Russa told the Post-Dispatch. "In my mind, our only chance to win that series was to pitch those two guys [Ankiel and Kile] four games."

What does bother La Russa is that he had Kile appear at the news conference the day before the series. Kile answered questions without indicating he would start Game 2.

La Russa also pointed to the loss of catcher Mike Matheny (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5205) before that series, who he said might have caught the Ankiel pitches that eluded Carlos Hernandez (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6782).

Ankiel, now 25, had not pitched in a spring training game this season. He was to have pitched in a "B" game Wednesday, but it was rained out.

He sat out 2002 with a sprained left elbow and missed most of the 2003 and 2004 seasons after reconstructive elbow surgery.


---------------------------

Uh...I'm all for coming up with some possible explanation, but that one?!?! A bit of a stretch....not as big of a stretch as was needed to catch the wild pitches, but pretty close.

[WSUCougar]

Uh...I'm all for coming up with some possible explanation, but that one?!?! A bit of a stretch....not as big of a stretch as was needed to catch the wild pitches, but pretty close.
Gotta agree with ya there. Stretch Armstrong would've had problems snaring those bad boy WPs.

By the way, Stan Musial was originally signed as a pitcher... :eek:

[lungs]

When was the last time a player was both a successful hitter and pitcher in the majors? Babe Ruth?

There have been several players in recent memory to be successful at both in the minors (John Olerud comes to mind), but who in the majors?


Brooks Kieschnick

[cartman]

When was the last time a player was both a successful hitter and pitcher in the majors? Babe Ruth?

There have been several players in recent memory to be successful at both in the minors (John Olerud comes to mind), but who in the majors?

Jose Canseco

:D

[CraigSca]

I think the NLDS game where Ankiel melted down would be interesting to watch if ESPN Classic would show it again. Especially the first two innings - was he wild and just got lucky? Or was there an exact point in time where he lost it?

[Ksyrup]

That's what is so strange. He pitched two scoreless innings, had a 6-0 lead, and lost it. It would be relatively understandable if he never had it together, but he had it all going his way when the meltdown occurred.