BF_in_Indiana Posted March 9, 2005 Posted March 9, 2005 What went wrong with Ankiel? This is one of the strangest stories in baseball history if you ask me. He has a great rookie season and then implodes in the playoffs. He made Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn look like he had control. Injuries and continued wildness kept him out of the majors for a few years after that, but last year he got the call up and pitched ok. He pitched very well at winter ball and started spring training off well. He has been wild the last few throwing sessions so now he's gonna try to be an outfielder. Talk about a total waste of talent. This kid could have been one of the greats.
d_wag Posted March 9, 2005 Posted March 9, 2005 What went wrong with Ankiel? This is one of the strangest stories in baseball history if you ask me. He has a great rookie season and then implodes in the playoffs. He made Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn look like he had control. Injuries and continued wildness kept him out of the majors for a few years after that, but last year he got the call up and pitched ok. He pitched very well at winter ball and started spring training off well. He has been wild the last few throwing sessions so now he's gonna try to be an outfielder. Talk about a total waste of talent. This kid could have been one of the greats. 268099[/snapback] it's like yogi said "basebal is 90% mental, the other half is physical".......sorry, couldn't resist....... seriously, i do feel bad for the kid and hope the change works out for him, after all he has been through on and off the field.......confidence is a powerful thing (just ask josh reed) and if he ever finds it again it might not be too late........
BRH Posted March 9, 2005 Posted March 9, 2005 Once upon a time, Steve Blass rose higher and fell further than even Rick Ankiel. And Dale Murphy might have been a Hall of Fame catcher if he hadn't developed the strange inability to throw the ball back to the pitcher, thereby necessitating a move to the outfield, where his 390 homers are a decidedly less-impressive stat than if he'd been a catcher. Then there's Chuck Knoblauch.
Alaska Darin Posted March 9, 2005 Posted March 9, 2005 Then there's Chuck Knoblauch. 268179[/snapback] And Steve Sax.
BillsFanNC Posted March 9, 2005 Posted March 9, 2005 Mackey Sasser. He couldn't throw the ball back to the pitcher to save his life.
BF_in_Indiana Posted March 9, 2005 Author Posted March 9, 2005 Well Ankiel did hit 10 home runs one year in minor league ball. So maybe he can do it, but by the time he learns how to do it he'll be 30 years old and pretty much useless.
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