2008 Woodie Awards
Ankiel sparks resurgent Cardinals
Brendan Block
Issue date: 9/7/07 Section: Sports
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In the summer of 2000, St. Louis Cardinals' pitcher Rick Ankiel had one of the brightest futures in the game of baseball. He was 21 years old (the second youngest player in the majors that year) and was second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.
To add to the achievement, during the last month of the regular season, he pulverized teams with his 95 miles per hour fastball and his 12 to 6 knee-buckling curve, sporting a 4-1 record with a 1.97 earned run average.
His success came to a screeching halt in the first game of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves. Ankiel unexpectedly got the Game 1 start from the Cardinals' always controversial manager Tony LaRussa.
What became the prime example of the modern day meltdown on the mound happened in the third inning. Ankiel got one out, then he walked a batter, and he followed the walk with wild pitch, wild pitch, walk, wild pitch, strikeout, walk, wild pitch and single.
The culmination of the inning left Ankiel with a shameful record for the most wild pitches in one inning for a playoff game.
After the 2000 season Ankiel never returned to greatness and continued to have control problems. Both the media and Ankiel were trying to figure out why he had such a mental block. After getting sent down to the minors in 2001 Ankiel became plagued with elbow injuries and even underwent Tommy John surgery in 2003.
When the spring of 2005 rolled around, Ankiel announced to the press that he was quitting pitching to become an outfielder. With no one believing in him but himself, Ankiel made the lonely transition to learning to hit consistently and fielding like a major leaguer. While he was working his way up through the minors in 2005, Ankiel had a brief stint with the Springfield Cardinals in which he played 34 games and hit 10 home runs.
A further setback happened in 2006 when Ankiel succumbed to a knee injury making his hopes disappear for the 2006 season.
In 2007 the clouds went away from his career as he pounded 32 homeruns in AAA ball for the Cardinals.
To add to the achievement, during the last month of the regular season, he pulverized teams with his 95 miles per hour fastball and his 12 to 6 knee-buckling curve, sporting a 4-1 record with a 1.97 earned run average.
His success came to a screeching halt in the first game of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves. Ankiel unexpectedly got the Game 1 start from the Cardinals' always controversial manager Tony LaRussa.
What became the prime example of the modern day meltdown on the mound happened in the third inning. Ankiel got one out, then he walked a batter, and he followed the walk with wild pitch, wild pitch, walk, wild pitch, strikeout, walk, wild pitch and single.
The culmination of the inning left Ankiel with a shameful record for the most wild pitches in one inning for a playoff game.
After the 2000 season Ankiel never returned to greatness and continued to have control problems. Both the media and Ankiel were trying to figure out why he had such a mental block. After getting sent down to the minors in 2001 Ankiel became plagued with elbow injuries and even underwent Tommy John surgery in 2003.
When the spring of 2005 rolled around, Ankiel announced to the press that he was quitting pitching to become an outfielder. With no one believing in him but himself, Ankiel made the lonely transition to learning to hit consistently and fielding like a major leaguer. While he was working his way up through the minors in 2005, Ankiel had a brief stint with the Springfield Cardinals in which he played 34 games and hit 10 home runs.
A further setback happened in 2006 when Ankiel succumbed to a knee injury making his hopes disappear for the 2006 season.
In 2007 the clouds went away from his career as he pounded 32 homeruns in AAA ball for the Cardinals.
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