Comments on: Rick Ankiel may try to pitch again

By: unlost1

unlost1 — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:05:41 +0000

yup

By: dcfan4life

dcfan4life — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 00:42:51 +0000

If the guy can throw a bullet from center field to the catcher almost everytime, im thinkin the pitching command may not be much of an issue, especially if he approaches it with a “well, what have I got to lose?” mentality.

By: metalhead65

metalhead65 — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:51:42 +0000

I was replying to the statement “I am sure there is not a better outfield arm in baseball”. I am not allowed to do so? this makes me a boilerfaker fan? look I am happy you love your cardinals and good for you,but the Reds are my team and they play in the same division and now despite the fact they have crusty baker as their manager they no longer are the doormat team the cards pushed around for years. that along with your former managers arrogance and the fact your team always has an excuse and cry and whine when the Reds beat them means they are the enemy in my book.am I going to sit back and not say anything when your cards are suppose to be the team to beat next year despite finishing 11 games back of the Reds this year? it’s nothing personal I am just old school and hate any other team other than mine. I grew up hating the dodgers because they were the Reds main rivals and now your cardinals are. you can bet I never rooted for the dodgers to win a world series just because they played in the same division.

By: cardinalcrazy

cardinalcrazy — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:38:01 +0000

Maybe he should consider pitching from centerfield instead, he has the arm to do it!

By: ghostofjimlindeman

ghostofjimlindeman — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:12:06 +0000

Rick was easily the best pitching prospect that the Cards ever had in my lifetime, stuff wise I mean. Would love to see him as our LOOGY next year, pitcher and pinch hitter in one. Hope he finds the zone again, nasty nasty stuff as a kid. Regardless he’ll always be a Cardinal in the fans hearts and he’s a great baseball story.

By: stlouis1baseball

stlouis1baseball — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 21:32:50 +0000

Bruce has a great Arm. Of course…this article is about Rick Ankiel though.
Jeesh Metalhead. Does everything have to be about the Redlegs.
Are just not capable of giving anyone other than a Red the credit he deserves?
Newsflash: I like Zack Cozart, Ryan Hanigan, Joey Votto AND your punk ass 2nd Baseman.
They are all great players. I would take them on my roster anytime. Have zero issues stating this.
That’s just me I guess.
Better tone down the post after post of biased comments.
You don’t want to be mistaken for a BoilerFaker fan do you? Hahaha!

By: bluburt

bluburt — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 21:15:44 +0000

Somewhere in Durham, the Bull is very, very scared…

By: bobwsc

bobwsc — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 20:11:43 +0000

his socks in that picture are phenomenal.

By: sophiethegreatdane

sophiethegreatdane — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 20:01:52 +0000

Maybe they could put up, like, a net or something???

By: metalhead65

metalhead65 — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:50:04 +0000

you might want to check out Jay Bruce if you want to see a cannon for an arm. not many people try and run on him.

By: dondada10

dondada10 — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:38:41 +0000

Worst case scenario: he’s a LOOGY and a pinch-hitter who can go yard.

By: okwhitefalcon

okwhitefalcon — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:49:55 +0000

Another interesting aside on Ankiel that never got alot of run when he initially went through his melt down.

His dad (Richard Sr I believe) was in the midst of felony drug charges in Florida at the time.
If memory serves correctly he plead guilty, did time and has since been released.

Regardless of a pitching comeback, the guy has a helluva story.

By: seeinred87

seeinred87 — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:49:41 +0000

I am sure there is not a better outfield arm than Rick Ankiel. I’m a huge fan and hope this works out for him.

By: hk62

hk62 — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:46:55 +0000

He’s left handed and has a pulse…but relievers have to throw strikes. Hope he does it, lefty relievers are making decent coin too.

By: okwhitefalcon

okwhitefalcon — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:10:47 +0000

Interesting note on Strauss, he’s no longer the lead beat guy for the Post Dispatch – he’s been promoted to columnist with Derrick Goold taking over lead Cardinal responsibilities.

As for Ankiel, who knows.

He was easily the best Cards pitching prospect I’ve ever witnessed in person, an interesting guy.

It would make for a great “full circle” story (notice again, not using the word “narrative”) no matter who he came back with if he chooses to do so.

By: forsch31

forsch31 — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:48:29 +0000

The photo is of Ankiel pitching, and the last time he did that was in a Cardinals uniform.

The blurb is from Joe Strauss, is one of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch beat reporters for the Cardinals. Of course he’s going to relate this to the Cardinals organization and fanbase, ’cause that’s his job, and all he says is that he thinks the Cardinals would be among those organizations interested.

By: stlouis1baseball

stlouis1baseball — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:48:29 +0000

I am not sure there is a stronger arm in MLB.
I hope he does it. Don’t care if it’s the Cardinals, Reds, Pirates, Cubs,…whomever.
Dude had a sick…sick…12-6 curveball. If memory serves…he even set a strikeout record his rookie year.
Ankiel has a wonderful story. And I am not even referring to his switching to a position player.
It’s incredible he even stayed focused enough to reach MLB.
Let alone start out as a pitching phenom that inexplicably lost his command and re-invents himself as a position player. Always been a huge Rick Ankiel fan.

By: metalhead65

metalhead65 — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:40:24 +0000

while that would make a nice story do not count him out as a position player just yet. as long as jocketty and his love of washed up ex-cards is in charge he has a chance to be the reds starting left fielder next year.

By: hisgirlgotburrelled

hisgirlgotburrelled — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:34:11 +0000

Throwing strikes from +300′, he’s the best. Throwing strikes from 60′ 6″, different story.

By: samu0034

samu0034 — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:17:03 +0000

I tried to find the post, but couldn’t. Now I’m feeling like an idiot, and thinking the post may have been on here…

By: Gobias Industries

Gobias Industries — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:15:20 +0000

I would think by your comment that you find Go, Dog, Go! to be an intellectually stimulating book.

By: samu0034

samu0034 — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:14:47 +0000

On John Sickles’ blog, about a week ago, there was a post asking for discussion about which position player you think could make the switch to pitcher. Lots of names were bandied about, but the one that I thought sounded the neatest was Ankiel. I just think it’d be a hell of a story if he were able to go back from whence he came, and make a go of it.

By: unlost1

unlost1 — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:09:13 +0000

It’s a rumor and you would think by the photo & the blurb he’s signing with the cardninals tomorrow

By: kicksave1980

kicksave1980 — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:04:31 +0000

Amazing talent, and I hope he can pull it off.

By: dwrek5

dwrek5 — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:58:11 +0000

No pressure this time. No weight from being a top prospect. Nothing to lose. Just let it rip. I REALLY hope this works out!

By: kkolchak

kkolchak — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:53:59 +0000

Ankiel threw a 350 foot strike to home plate from centerfield for the Nats early this past season. There is nothing physically wrong with his arm. Someone will give him a chance to see if he can do it.

By: mrsandusky

mrsandusky — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:52:37 +0000

I would not sit behind home plate if they let him do this

By: willclarkgameface

willclarkgameface — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:37:54 +0000

I’m in. I’d like to see this and especially with the Cardinals. It would be an interesting story.