Cards shuffle, end up with ace in outfield
Former pitcher now at heart of lineup of transformation in St. Louis
 David Zalubowski / AP Cardinals center fielder Rick Ankiel smiles as he heads to the dugout after making an amazing throw to nail a runner at third base. |
You can watch thousands of major league baseball games and not see two throws even close to being as good as the ones the St. Louis Cardinals' Rick Ankiel made Tuesday night in Colorado.
I know this because I've watched thousands of games. I watch almost every night. I don't have much of a life other than chips, salsa and highlight shows.
Anyway, back to Ankiel.
He threw two lasers from center field to third base to nail baserunners. On the fly. Into the glove of third baseman Troy Glaus.
"Ridiculous," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.
When you watched them, the first thing you wanted to do was watch them again. And again.
Then you thought of Roberto Clemente. You wondered if this was the kind of throw he made. Yes, it was that good.
It was as if, after all the pain and all the disappointment, Ankiel picked this moment to announce he'd finally made it. Once upon a time, he was a pitching phenom. And then things began to happen to Ankiel that shouldn't happen to anyone.
Long after he was written off, long after he was declared one of those what-could-have-been guys, Ankiel is playing center field and hitting high in the lineup for the first-place Cardinals.
"In my 39 years (in baseball), I've never seen anyone move to center field from pitching," respected Phillies scout Gordon Lakey told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "He's played right field well, but center field probably is easier because he gets better looks off the bat. He runs well enough. Now, it's just a question of getting the experience and cutting down the angles."
Quick, name the two big leaguers who have won 10 or more games as a pitcher and hit 10 or more home runs as an everyday player.
Answer: Ankiel ... and Babe Ruth.
Ankiel is hitting .279 with six home runs and 19 RBIs and is one of the reasons the Cardinals are baseball's most surprising team. He is here to stay and the Cardinals might be as well.
The thing to know about Ankiel is he long ago won the hearts and minds of teammates, managers and coaches. He already had defined courage and resilience and commitment.
That was the message from La Russa a couple of springs ago as he sat in his office and ran down his roster. Ankiel stuck his head in the door and asked about the next day's schedule.
La Russa essentially ordered Ankiel to take a day off. He told him it wasn't negotiable. When Ankiel left, La Russa began to talk.
"This guy is so special," he said. "I don't think I've ever been around someone that puts more into it. He has been among the first guys here every day and would be the last to leave. After all he has been through ..."
La Russa struggled with his emotions as he thought back on all the pain and disappointment Ankiel had endured.
"You're going to see him back up here," he said finally.
Once upon a time, Ankiel was going to be a star. He was a left-handed pitcher with a great arm and a cocky attitude. If knowing you're good is half the battle, Ankiel arrived in the big leagues well on his way to greatness. The Cardinals drafted him in the second round of the 1997 draft, and two years later he was in the big leagues.
In 2000, he was 11-7 with a 3.50 ERA. He finished second in the National League rookie of the year voting. He made just six more starts.
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He blew out his left elbow. He couldn't throw strikes. He was sent back to the minor leagues. His career was over. The Cardinals knew it. The entire world knew it. But Ankiel didn't know it.
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