Ричард Анкиель: Бейсболдағы ерекше мансап

American baseball player

Richard Alexander Ankiel ('/æ//ŋ//k//iː//l/; born July 19, 1979) is an American former professional baseball center fielder and pitcher. He spent most of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the St. Louis Cardinals, but also played for the Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, and New York Mets. Ankiel was a pitcher with the Cardinals from 1999 until 2001 when he found himself unable to throw strikes consistently. After trying to regain his pitching form in the minor leagues and briefly returning to the majors in 2004, he switched to the outfield in early 2005. For two and a half years, he honed his skills as a hitter and fielder in the Cardinals' minor league system. He returned to the Cardinals on August 9, 2007. As a Cardinal until 2009, Ankiel hit 47 home runs as an outfielder and two as a pitcher. After the 2009 season, Ankiel became a free agent. Subsequently, he was signed by the Royals and later was traded to the Braves. Ankiel became the first player after Babe Ruth to win at least 10 games as a pitcher and also hit at least 70 home runs. Ankiel is also the only player other than Ruth to both start a postseason game as a pitcher and hit a home run in the postseason as a position player. His change of position, and the fact that he played for six teams in a five season span, suggest that Ankiel's playing history represents "one of the stranger careers in baseball history" in the words of journalist Barry Petchesky.

Ankiel was one of three children born to Denise and Richard Ankiel, Sr. His father worked various odd jobs, was arrested 14 times and convicted 6 times by the time Ankiel was an adult. He described his father as very tough on him, making him run wind sprints if he swung at bad pitches in Little League. Ankiel attended Port St. Lucie High School in Florida, where he went 11–1 with a 0.47 earned run average (ERA) during his senior season, striking out 162 batters in 74 innings pitched, and was named the High School Player of the Year by USA Today in 1997.

The St. Louis Cardinals selected Ankiel in the second round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft. He received a $2.5 million signing bonus. In 1998, he was voted the best pitching prospect in both the Carolina and Midwest League, and was the Carolina League's All Star starting pitcher, Baseball Americas first team Minor League All Star starting pitcher, and the Cardinals' Minor League Player of the Year. That year, he led all minor league pitchers in strikeouts with 222. In 1999, Ankiel was named the Minor League Player of the Year by both Baseball America and USA Today. and Baseball America First Team Minor League All Star starting pitcher.

Ankiel debuted in 1999 in Montreal, against the Expos. He pitched his first full season in 2000 at the age of 20 (second youngest player in the league), posting an 11–7 record, a 3.50 ERA (tenth in the league), and 194 strikeouts (seventh in the league) in 30 games started. Ankiel threw a 94 to 97 mph fastball, a heavy sinker, and a fall off the table curveball that was his main strikeout pitch. He struck out batters at a rate of 9.98 strikeouts per nine innings (second in the National League only to Randy Johnson), and allowed only 7.05 hits per nine innings (second only to Chan Ho Park). He came in second (to the Atlanta Braves' Rafael Furcal) in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. In Game One, Ankiel did not allow a run through the first two innings. His performance suddenly deteriorated in the third. He allowed four runs on two hits, four walks and throwing five wild pitches before being removed with two outs. Despite Ankiel facing eight batters and throwing 35 pitches, the Cardinals won the game. Ankiel shrugged off the event, joking that he was the first pitcher to throw five wild pitches in an inning since Bert Cunningham of the Players' League in 1890. In his next start, Game Two of the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets, Ankiel was removed in the first inning after throwing 20 pitches, five of which went past catcher Eli Marrero (only two were official wild pitches, as no runners were on base for the others), and the first of which sailed over the head of Mets' hitter Timo Perez. Ankiel appeared again in the seventh inning of Game Five facing four hitters, walking two and throwing two more wild pitches. The Cardinals lost the series four games to one to the Mets. The source of Ankiel's problems were unknown, but speculated to be psychological; his father had been sent to federal prison and his parents were divorced during the 2000 season.

Ankiel returned to the majors in 2001 but again had issues controlling his pitches, walking 25 batters and throwing five wild pitches in 24 innings, after a spring training game in which he threw only three strikes out of 20 pitches. He slugged .514 in Single A, and .515 in Double A, with 5 outfield assists in 55 games.

In 2006, Ankiel was invited to spring training by the Cardinals as an outfielder, with a slim chance to make the team as a reserve player. His fielding impressed scouts and managers, and he had shown flashes of power hitting in the minor leagues. However, he injured his left knee before the season started, and had season ending surgery on May 26.

Ankiel was invited to the Cardinals' 2007 spring training and began that season at Triple A Memphis Redbirds. On May 28, 2007, he hit two home runs in a game against the Round Rock Express. He also hit an RBI double and made an over the shoulder catch in deep center field that saved two runs. Ankiel was named a starting outfielder for the 2007 Triple A All Star Game. Through August 8, he had 32 home runs, 89 RBIs, and was hitting .267, including a three home run performance on June 16 against the Iowa Cubs. He was the home run leader in the Pacific Coast League, and tied for second in RBIs. Defensively, Ankiel had seven errors in 95 games.

Ankiel helped the Cardinals defeat the Colorado Rockies on May 6 by recording two outfield assists and a home run to propel St. Louis to a 6–5 victory. Ankiel, on both assists, threw the ball from deep center field to Troy Glaus at third on the fly. He finished 2008 with a .264 batting average, 25 home runs, and 71 runs batted in. He was re activated on May 24. Ankiel platooned with Colby Rasmus for much of the remainder of the year and finished the season with 11 home runs, 38 RBI, and a .231 batting average. He began the season as the Royals' starting center fielder, but was placed on the disabled list in early May with a strained right quadriceps after playing sparingly from April 24 on. He was activated on July 23, and replaced an injured David DeJesus midway through the game in center field. On July 31, Ankiel and reliever Kyle Farnsworth were traded to the Atlanta Braves for Jesse Chavez, Gregor Blanco and Tim Collins. On October 8, in the second game of the 2010 NLDS against the San Francisco Giants, Ankiel hit his first career postseason home run into McCovey Cove off Giants reliever Ramón Ramírez in the top of the 11th inning, leading the Braves to a 5–4 win. Rick joined Barry Bonds as the only two players to hit a ball into the cove in the postseason. Speaking on television after the game, Ankiel called the home run "the pinnacle of anything I've ever done." He finished the 2010 season with a .232 batting average, 6 home runs, and 24 RBI in only 74 games.

On November 2, 2010, the Braves declined Ankiel's club option, making him a free agent. On December 20, 2010, the Washington Nationals signed him to a one year, $1.5 million contract. Ankiel played in 122 games for the Nationals in 2011, hitting .239 with 9 home runs and 37 RBIs while platooning in center field with Roger Bernadina. He had a .996 fielding percentage for the season, committing one error in 113 games in the outfield.

The Nationals re signed Ankiel to a one year, $1.25 million minor league deal for 2012. He began the season on the disabled list, rehabbing in the minors. Once promoted, his role was limited as a backup outfielder. In 68 games, he hit .228 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in 158 at bats. He started 37 games in center field and played 62 total games in center with a .983 fielding percentage. On July 19, Nationals closer Drew Storen was added to the roster, and Ankiel was designated for assignment by the Nationals to make room. On July 27, Ankiel was released by the Nationals.

On January 17, 2013, the Houston Astros signed Ankiel with an invite to spring training as a non roster invitee. On March 31, Ankiel homered in the Astros' regular season opener against the Texas Rangers in Houston. He was designated for assignment on May 6 and released shortly thereafter. One week later on May 13, the New York Mets signed Ankiel and immediately placed him into their starting lineup. He collected two hits, including a two run homer, against the Cardinals in St. Louis on May 15. His offensive production regressed, and following an 0 for 4, three strikeout performance against the Miami Marlins on June 8 (giving him a combined 60 strikeouts in 128 at bats for the season), Ankiel was designated for assignment by the Mets. He became a free agent on June 13. In 45 games, he batted .188 with 7 home runs and 18 RBI and a .422 slugging percentage.

Ankiel announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on March 5, 2014. On January 8, 2015, the Washington Nationals announced that they had hired Ankiel as a "Life Skills Coordinator." In this role, Ankiel mentors players both at the major league level as well as in the Nationals' farm system. In April 2017, Ankiel's memoir, The Phenomenon: Pressure, The Yips, and the Pitch that Changed My Life, was published. In August 2018, Ankiel stated that he was "toying with" the idea of possibly pitching in professional baseball again. Later that month, Ankiel announced that he was planning a return to Major League Baseball for the 2019 season as a pitcher. In October, he underwent "primary repair" surgery, an alternative to Tommy John surgery, in his pitching elbow. Ankiel officially ended his comeback attempt on July 30, 2019. He was eligible to be elected into the Hall of Fame in 2019, but received less than 5% of the vote and became ineligible for the 2020 ballot. After retiring, Ankiel became a commentator and studio analyst for Bally Sports Midwest, frequently joining Dan McLaughlin in calling Cardinals games.

Ankiel's father was sentenced to six years in federal prison for drug smuggling in March 2000. His parents were divorced the same year. They have two sons. He periodically joins Cardinals television broadcasts.

The 2016 film, The Phenom, starring Ethan Hawke, Johnny Simmons, and Paul Giamatti, is loosely based on Ankiel's personal life and professional struggles.