Rick Ankiel

Rick Ankiel is a Major League Baseball player. He is currently an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Fast Facts

1. Full name: Richard Alexander Ankiel
2. Born: July 19, 1979
3. Birthplace: Fort Pierce, Florida
4. Height: 6'1"
5. Weight: 210 lbs
6. Position: Outfielder
7. Bats: Left
8. Throws: Left
9. Draft year: 1997

Early Life

Rick Ankiel was born in Fort Pierce, Florida, on July 19, 1979. In 1997, he was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft.¹

Pro Career

On August 23, 1999, Ankiel made his MLB debut with the St. Louis Cardinals as a pitcher. In his first season, he appeared in 9 games and compiled a 3.27 earned run average. In 2000, he earned 11 wins with a 3.50 earned run average. He then suffered a well publicized problem with his pitching control.² He then suffered an injury to his elbow and re-invented himself as a hitter. He completed his comeback in 2007, when he appeared in 47 games for the Cardinals as an outfielder and hit 11 homeruns while batting .285 with 39 runs batted in.³ In 2007, it was reported that Ankiel used HGH.⁴

Comeback For The Ages

Rick Ankiel started his career in Major League Baseball as a pitcher. But after a well publicized struggle with his pitching control,² he converted to the outfield, and was able to return to the major leagues as an everyday player. On August 9, 2007, in his first MLB game as an outfielder, he hit a three run home run, completing an amazing comeback.⁵

Rick Ankiel Timeline

• July 19, 1979: Born
• 1997: Drafted by St. Louis Cardinals
• 1999: Debuted with St. Louis Cardinals
• 2001: Suffers pitching control problems
• 2007: Returns to Cardinals as an Outfielder

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