A broken Ankiel for the Cards

[NetShrine]

All it depends on what the Cards think is the best way to handle the media crunch - - would it worse for him in Sept or Spring Training?

I'd probably bring him up in Sept - - he should be sharper. In the Spring, the natural rust will be there and the press will jump all over him.

Then again, if he bombs in Sept, he has to "sleep on it" all Winter.

[jpalexa]

Sure, it was rookie league ball, but 1.33 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 87 2/3 innings sounds a ton better than before. Maybe there is hope yet for Ankiel returning to the bigs?

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

La Russa putting no pressure on Ankiel

By JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer
December 11, 2001

BOSTON (AP) -- Rick Ankiel will have a chance to win a job in the St. Louis rotation in spring training, but Cardinals manager Tony La Russa isn't putting any pressure on the wild left-hander.

"If he clicks, he's going to be on our staff," La Russa said Tuesday. "If not, we'll keep giving him the ball until he figures it out. It's just mechanical."

Ankiel, once the top pitching prospect in baseball, was sent back to the rookie league early last year when he couldn't throw the ball over the plate.

The Cardinals still have high hopes for Ankiel, 22, but won't put a timetable on his progress

"I expect that soon Rick will get back to having a great career," La Russa said. "Is soon 2002 spring training or in a couple of years, we'll see. There's no pressure."

Ankiel was one of the top rookie pitchers in the majors in 2000 before blowing up in the playoffs, throwing nine wild pitches in four innings. He was 11-7 with a team-leading 3.50 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 175 innings in 2000.

Ankiel was 1-2 with a 7.13 ERA and 24 walks in 25 innings with the Cardinals before being demoted May 11.

After walking 17 and throwing 12 wild pitches in 4 1/3 innings at Triple-A Memphis, Ankiel was sent to the rookie Appalachian League. He went 5-3 with a 1.33 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 87 2/3 innings for Johnson City. In 14 starts he walked 18, hit six batters and gave up one home run.

Ankiel spent September with the Cardinals but wasn't on the active roster. He did impress La Russa in his bullpen sessions.

"I was salivating about him," La Russa said. "I'm really excited about Rick."

[Skipper Steve]

"It's just mechanical"

Yeah, Tony. Sure.

[BuzzBuzzard]

It is mechanical....the mechanics of his brain. A few gears aren't quite meshing correctly.

[jpalexa]

It really does sound like it is just stage fright. I had proposed -- way earlier in this thread -- that Ankiel may have had an injury (a la Mark Wohlers when he had The Nips), but given his performance in mighty Johnson City, it appears that his arm is indeed fine.

At any rate, I can certainly appreciate being uncomfortable performing (no, not *that* kind!) in front of a large crowd. Looks like the rookie-league-sized crowds don't cause a problem, but most AAA- and major-league-sized crowds do.

Maybe the Expos should trade for him?!?

[CubFan7125]

Ankiel also did some DH'ing while playing A ball and did fairly well, how about putting him in AA or AAA and see how he does at 1B(the Cards seem to have a long term need there) or in RF. From what I understand this guy is a pretty good athlete and could probably make the switch fairly easily.

What I was wondering was id their was anyone who made such a switch either way once they were in the majors, I realize their is a long list of guys(Shawon Dunston, Joe Nathan, etc...) who changed in the minors.

[SmedIndy]

It's rare.

Off the top of my head:

Ron Mahay went the other way, from OF to P.
Willie Smith
Mel Queen
Bobby Darwin

Others maybe long ago. It used to be that pitchers moved to the outfield, like Smoky Joe Wood.

Greg Pirkl tried, but he got bogged down in the minors.

Many times this is done at rookie ball and short season Class A.

I don't think Dunston ever pitched professionally. I need to consult my register.

[CubFan7125]

Originally posted by SmedIndy
I don't think Dunston ever pitched professionally. I need to consult my register.

I may stand corrected on that, but I do know that the Cubs drafted him with the hopes he would be a pitcher. I'm sure control and not the velocity on his #1 was the problem, as both Leon "Bull" Durham & Mark Grace can testify to.

Two words: Babe Ruth

[CubFan7125]

Originally posted by Throwback
Two words: Babe Ruth

Thank You - I presumed that one was understood.