By Zach Zook
NORMAL – The Corn Crib wasn’t hosting Frontier League baseball this past weekend as it so often does throughout the summer, but it was still playing host to something special.
The Legends Game, which took place on Saturday was comprised of former Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals players. One of those players was none other than former Cardinal Rick Ankiel. Ankiel took one of the most interesting paths to the Major Leagues that baseball had ever seen, first making it as a pitcher, and then returning after injuries as an outfielder.
“You know, I love them both for different reasons,” Ankiel said of his time both pitching and playing the outfield. “They’ve both had their ups, they’ve both had their downs. You know, at the end of the day I wouldn’t change it. It’s hard to explain but like I said, I like them both for different reasons.”
Ankiel indeed had many ups as both a pitcher and position player with the Cardinals. He posted an 11-7 record and a 3.50 ERA in his first full season, which led to a Game 1 start in the 2000 National League Division Series against Greg Maddux of the Braves. After his switch to the outfield because of control problems as a pitcher, he homered in his first game back in the big leagues, finishing the 2007 season with a .285 batting average, 11 home runs, and 39 RBIs in just 172 at-bats.
“I think making it back as a position player really set the tone for that next life I had in the game,” Ankiel said. “I think the home run that I hit that first night and then the home run I hit in the playoffs with the Braves were probably the two biggest moments as a position player that I had.”
Ankiel retired after the 2013 season, but still acknowledged how much the game has changed since his career started.
“I think it’s been a gradual progression like everything else,” he said. “Stuff changes, the game has definitely changed there’s no question about that, but at the same time guys now are bigger, faster, and stronger than they’ve ever been before.”
Rick Ankiel played in the MLB from 1999 to 2013, playing the bulk of his career with the Cardinals. He also played for the Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, and New York Mets.
Zach Zook can be reached at [email protected]
