Rick Ankiel, OF

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From Can't Stop The Bleeding (via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch):

"Cardinals lefthander Rick Ankiel, once deemed the game’s most promising young arm, will convert from pitcher to outfielder, effective immediately.
"The Cardinals confirmed the move Wednesday morning shortly after rain washed out what was scheduled to be Ankiel’s spring debut in a B game against the Florida Marlins.
"'We are fully supportive of Rick’s decision to convert to an everyday outfielder,' Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said in a prepared statement. '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.'"

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 18:55 (twenty years ago)

Good idea ... there's always someone backing up third when a throw comes in from the outfield ... it'll help him cut back on his ~~wild pitches~~ throwing errors.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 19:35 (twenty years ago)

Ugh - the "ha ha wild pitch" gags should probably be kept to a minimum unless A) you have one that's actually funny (doubtful) (I'm a tough crowd), or B) you're a Cub fan.

If he hits as well in the majors as he did in, um, A ball (cough), that ain't too bad. Of course, the real rub is he needs to be on the major league roster, or be released, as he's out of options, & it won't do either the Cards or Ankiel any good for him to rot on a bench when he should be getting his feet wet against AA/AAA pitchers.

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 19:57 (twenty years ago)

haha gee whiz daver why so sensitive about wild pitch gags? you related to ray chapman or something?

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 20:06 (twenty years ago)

Golly gee whillikers, Blount! Chapman coulda been somebody! He coulda been Wee Willie Keeler! Damn that shineball!

I guess I'm just pre-emptively getting fed up w/ the slew of comments that will undoubtedly be offered in light of this story. I feel the same about this as I do about the inevitable Griffey hamstring pull. Of course, I make the same Griffey gags like everyone does, so I'm complicit.

SHINEBAAAAAAAAAALL! (said in my best Wrath of Khan voice, obv.)

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 20:17 (twenty years ago)

Mackey Sasser, please report to thread, Mackey Sasser

― The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 20:33 (twenty years ago)

It'll be a while - he's still pumping. Go ahead, Vince - steal 3rd, too.

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 20:46 (twenty years ago)

Well, how about that for a full-circle about-face how's-yr-uncle from yours truly? Bring on the Pope Dead Pool!

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 20:47 (twenty years ago)

I felt bad for Mackey Sasser; the same thing happened to me in college, after a couple of errant throws while playing catch in Harvard Yard, so I understand. But I didn't feel TOO bad; we adopted a NYC street kitty named Mackey and quickly changed his name to Jarrod.

― The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 21:30 (twenty years ago)

Most memorable thing for me about Mackey Sasser - when his catching troubles REALLY got out of hand, he was moved temporarily to the OF (since he could swing the bat) (& these were the Mets of Kevin McReynolds & Dave Magadan) (sexxxy singles). There was some game @ Shea where he made some ridiculous wall-walking home-run-stealing catch, & he might've had another ridiculously spectacular catch in that game, too. A wee small bit of redemption, maybe.

I used to be afraid of catching fly balls & pop ups for fear of getting KONK'd on the head. A friend of mine actually DID get KONK'd once (on a practice pop up to 3rd), which didn't help my anxiety. Thankfully, the coaches stuck my chubby ass in RF, where I could suck in silence.

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 21:38 (twenty years ago)

This happened in Little League, BTW.

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 21:38 (twenty years ago)

Ugh - the "ha ha wild pitch" gags should probably be kept to a minimum unless A) you have one that's actually funny (doubtful) (I'm a tough crowd), or B) you're a Cub fan.

or C) you get a free pass (no pun intended) because you're the first person to post on a Rick Ankiel thread, which therefore requires you to make the token WP joke.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 22:50 (twenty years ago)

True dat. Carry on, wayward son.

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 23:58 (twenty years ago)

Fascinating stuff at THT.

― The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Thursday, 10 March 2005 17:09 (twenty years ago)

1-2 today

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 10 March 2005 22:30 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/06C3752400959CD386256FF9001B57F9?OpenDocument

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Friday, 6 May 2005 17:04 (twenty years ago)

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