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08/10/2007: "Finally ... A Good News Baseball Story ..."

How nice is it to hear a story about baseball that doesn't involve either Barry Bonds or steroids? Long before either, baseball was the national pastime and had the ability to capture our imagination like no other sport (other than maybe fishing ... ). Here's one reason why ...

In 2000, Rick Ankiel was a 19-yr-old lefthanded flamethrower for the St. Louis Cardinals. He won 11 games in his first full season after being selected as he starter for the Opening Day game. All things looked bright for the young pitcher.

Then, it all fell apart.

Pitching is as much mental as it is physical, and somehow, Ankiel lost it mentally. He set a MLB record with 5 wild pitches in a single inning, and threw nine more during four innings in the 2000 Playoffs. He struggled the next year, and was sent to the minors. His troubles didn't stop there, and a combination of ineffective pitches and injuries caused by his attempts to compensate for his troubles led him to give up on pitching in 2005.

But not on baseball. Ankiel had always been a decent hitter - he hit .250 with two home runs during his rookie season - and he announced that he wanted to switch to the outfield. Such changes have happened before (most notably Babe Ruth), but are as uncommon as a perfect game. But Ankiel was determined to succeed.

After hitting .267 and leading the Pacific Coast League with 32 home runs, Rick got the call on Wednesday and was in the Cardinals starting lineup yesterday against the Padres. He received an ovation from the home crowd before his first at-bat - and promptly struck out. Worse yet, he struck out in his next two plate appearances, looking very much like - dare I say - a pitcher. But in the seventh inning, he drove a 2-1 pitch into the right-field bleachers for a three run home run, earning a second ovation and a curtain call.

"Unbelievable," Ankiel said. "You almost can't put that into words."

"Short of winning the World Series, it's the happiest I've seen our club," a misty-eyed manager Tony La Russa said. "I'm fighting my butt off to keep it together.

Rick Ankiel is back in the majors. How long remains to be seen - he's still far too agressive at the plate - but his presence at all speaks volumes to the desire and hard work he's put in. Too many players' egos would never let themselves consider changing positions or having to learn a new way of doing things. After all, they're stars - they shouldn't have to work for something. Instead, they turn to a needle or a bottle to find that extra edge that Ankiel found in the weight room and the batting cage.

I say more Ankiel, less BALCO.