A desire can overcome all objections and obstacles. Rick Ankiel is living proof.

Ask any professional athlete, and they’re likely to tell you how fortunate they are to be doing what they love for a living. After a long and sometimes challenging road, Rick Ankiel can officially join that group.

In 2007, amidst a myriad of major league headlines including the shattering of the all-time home run record and a handful of players joining the 500 home run club, Rick Ankiel hit arguably the most anticipated homerun of the Major League season. One that he had sweated, bled and worked his heart out for.

His first Major League homerun - not a homerun hit by a pitcher who could was above average at wielding a bat – he already hit two of those in 2000.  This was his first as a Major League outfielder and no one could be prouder than his wife Lory, who had seen him fight against the odds to get that opportunity.

Make no mistake though, it wasn’t an opportunity that was given to Rick, it was one that he had to earn the hard way; by battling injuries, skeptics and the odds and starting from scratch and climbing back up the minor league ladder all over again.

 

The Natural...

In 1997, Rick Ankiel was on the path to stardom. He absolutely dominated the High School level in Port St. Lucie, Florida and was a High School All-American and was named USA Today’s 1997 High School player of the year after striking out more than two batters per inning (162 strikeouts in 74 innings pitched.) Think about that for a second, that’s an average of over two batters struck out per inning. That’s a rate very few, if any, pitchers achieve at any level.  Needless to say, Ankiel’s future was bright. Unbeknown to scouts, or perhaps just overlooked, was that he could hit a ton too.   

That summer of 1997, the St. Louis Cardinals drafted Rick in the second round of the Amateur Draft. He made his minor league debut in 1998 with the Peoria Chiefs, the Cardinals A ball affiliate.  Just as the roadmap had been laid out in his head, he continued his domination on the mound and tore through the Midwest and Carolina leagues to the tune of a 2.63 era, a WHIP under 1.00 and an overpowering 222 strikeouts in 161 innings. Although only 18 years of age, the powers that be were taking note of Rick’s success – he was widely regarded as the best pitching prospect in the Carolina and Midwest leagues and was named the Cardinals Minor League Player of the year.

In 1999, the competition got stronger as Rick was promoted to Double-A. He promptly ripped through the Texas League winning six of his eight starts while posting a microscopic 0.92 era. Once again, his accomplishments on the mound earned him the honor of the St. Louis Cardinals Organization’s Minor League Player of the Year. The Cardinals promoted him to AAA where his success continued and resulted in a late season call-up to the “show.” At age 19, Rick was officially a big leaguer.

In the off-season, he worked harder than ever, sensing that his time had come. At the start of the 2000 season, every scout in the Major Leagues knew in their hearts it was just a matter of time before Rick Ankiel, the young phenom fire-baller of the St. Louis Cardinals’, would be dominating their team’s lineup. He was one of the best pitching prospects to come along in quite a while – an elite athlete, a competitor, the heart of a champion with the talent to match – Rick was a sure thing.  Maybe it’d be a year, maybe two, but he was destined to be a frontline starter. He didn’t disappoint.

In 2000, Rick was penciled in as a starter for the St. Louis Cardinals at the ripe age of twenty. His powerful fastball that consistently clocked in the mid to high 90’s coupled with a nasty sinker and a devastating 12-6 textbook curveball were the weapons he brought to the mound against the best hitters in the world.

Rick was up to the challenge. He posted 11 wins and struck out 194 batters in 175 innings. His strikeouts per 9 innings ratio was second only to future Hall-of-Famer Randy Johnson. He also posted the National League’s 7th best era and came in second in the NL’s Rookie of the Year race. He also managed to establish himself as one of the best hitting pitchers in baseball as he popped two homeruns in limited at-bats and hit a respectable .250.

 

The sky was the limit.

Considering Rick’s success at every level, it came as no surprise that he was thrown into the heart of a pennant race. He pitched a total of three games in the post-season. It was here that Rick experienced the first obstacle in his professional career – he battled with his control.

After making it to one of the biggest stages the game had to offer in near record time, game 1 of the National League Division Series in New York, Ankiel couldn’t locate the plate. After experiencing nothing but success throughout his athletic life, this down-to-earth, humble but fiercely competitive spirit was undergoing change.

 

Then Rick Ankiel Learned How to Persevere…

Rick’s control problems followed him in 2001 as he started the year in the minors. Determined to harness his natural ability and get back to the level he had been at before and had become accustomed to, Rick tried it all. He worked his tail off and started from scratch. Playing with the Johnson City Cardinals of the Rookie League, Rick once again found his dominance. He made it back to the big leagues and it was thought he was close to getting back to his 2000 level.

The real story of Rick’s 2001 is that the Cardinals organization gave him the opportunity to show he could swing a mighty bat. He showed significant power, hitting 10 homers and posting a near 1.000 OPS in limited duty as a part-time DH.

In an unfortunate turn of events, Rick’s resurgence was cut short as he was forced to sit out the entire 2002 season with an elbow injury. He struggled to come back to form as the injury never fully went away. After posting 10 starts in 2003 with the Cardinals’ AA affiliate in Tennessee, Rick’s was done for the year and underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery.

In 2004, Rick made it back to the bigs and looked to be his old self, walking only one and striking out nine in 10 innings pitched. He could taste it, he was almost back. Then Rick Ankiel made one of the hardest decisions he’s every had to make in his athletic career, he believed he could be of the utmost value to the Cardinals organization, not as a pitcher, but as a position player.

Rick announced in February, 2005 that he planned to make the transition from the mound to the field. Scouts, baseball people and fans alike were skeptical of the move but Rick believed in himself and if there’s a harder working and more dedicated player on the planet, then he’s yet to be found.

It was time for Rick to listen to his heart and pursue his passion… against the odds.

 

The Path Less Traveled…

By walking away from pitching, Rick was able to focus his entire energy on a solitary goal – getting back to the bigs as an outfielder. He began the season in Quad Cities, a single A affiliate and immediately let it be known that this wasn’t a joke, Rick Ankiel had every intention of succeeding. Beginning his baseball career all over again at the age of 25, he split the year between single-A and double-AA and mashed 21 homers in 321 at-bats. It was evident he was translating the power he had in his arm as a young phenom, into the batter’s box.  That was the consistency, despite concentrating on hitting and fielding now instead of  pitching – the power, quick hands and skill that scouts remember oozing from his body early in his career followed him in his transition from pitcher to outfielder.  

Going into the 2006 season, Rick reported to Spring training and had a real shot to make the team. Peter Gammons reported that Rick was the happiest he’d ever been in baseball. And it was true. Rick had a mission and it appeared he was on the verge of officially overcoming the first obstacle in his athletic career. Then, in the Cardinals intra-squad scrimmage he tore up his knee.

His 2006 season was gone before he even had a chance to start it. This forced Rick to reach even deeper inside and question how badly he wanted this. When the odds kept stacking up and it appeared he couldn’t get a break, Rick went back to work. He busted his tail rehabbing, never feeling sorry for himself, never wondering why me, or what next. He put his head down and still felt privileged for the opportunity, and the challenge, that lay ahead of him. When the baseball world turned away from Rick Ankiel and it seemed easy to quit in light of the adversity, he buckled down. Only the St. Louis Cardinals, his family and friends and his amazing wife stayed behind him as he remained diligent and laser-focused on his goal.  Fully re-habbed and eager to get back to work, Rick began the 2007 season at the age of 26 with more experience under his belt than many players experience in their entire careers. The kind of experience that builds character, determination and hunger.

Remarkably, the Cardinals still had enough belief in Rick’s progress before his knee injury that they assigned him to begin the season at their AAA team, the Memphis Redbirds. Sports Illustrated took note. They continued their “Ankiel-O-Meter” which they had begun in 2005 with a skeptical view. As the 2007 progressed though, it was clear their skepticism was about to be turned on its head.

Rick went to work, feasting on pitching and actually increasing his batting average despite the higher level of pitching competition AND missing a year. He tore up the AAA level; his last proving ground. In just 102 games, he delivered 32 homeruns. As he kept smashing, it became harder and harder for the Cardinals to not call him up. This wasn’t just a pipe dream anymore. Knowledgeable people all over baseball were wondering when the Cardinals would pull the trigger. The call for Ankiel was growing among the fanbase too. It appeared more a question of when, not if – a monumental change in Rick’s remarkable story.

However, it was a gamble for the Cardinals organization. They had great belief in Rick Ankiel and had been there with him throughout it all. When they called him up, they wanted to make sure it would be for good.

 

Champions Keep Playing Until They Get it Right…

Then it happened. He had made his case and earned a shot at redemption in the big leagues. In a scene worthy of a Hollywood classic, Rick made sure his return came in dramatic fashion. In the 7th inning, Rick connected against Doug Brocail on a 2-1 pitch and drove it over the right field wall. A three-run homerun that sealed the victory for the Cardinals against the  San Diego Padres. Despite coming out of the dugout for a curtain call and tipping his cap to the crowd’s standing ovation. This wasn’t the story book ending to the story, though. It was only the beginning.

He went on to have a promising showing in his triumphant return to the majors. He ended the season with a .285 average, again improving it from the previous level he was at. His average was accompanied by 11 total homers which included a grand slam and two separate two-homerun games. His 39 rbis in only 47 major league games also gave a preview of his potential as a big-time run producer for the Cardinals. To put it in perspective, if Rick had played a full season, the statistics he produced project out to 39 HR and 134 RBI to go along with a .285 avg. In other words, elite middle of the order power production.

Heading into the 2008 season, there’s no more guessing or wondering “what if” for rick and his family. Rick Ankiel is an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. The amazing thing is, the best is yet to come.