Ankiel will try to hit instead of pitch
Hurler once known for his wildness has decided to try it as an outfielder.
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) -- Rick Ankiel couldn't find the plate, and now he won't take the mound.
The left-hander surprised the team Wednesday when he turned his back on a pitching career derailed by injuries and record wildness, saying he'll try to hit his way back to the major leagues as an outfielder.
"The frustration that built up, it seems like it was really eroding my spirit and starting to affect my personality off the field," Ankiel said. "It just became apparent that it was time for me to move on and pursue becoming an outfielder."
Manager Tony La Russa and general manager Walt Jocketty said they didn't try to persuade Ankiel to stick with pitching.
"Rick's gone through a lot of tough times," La Russa said.
"He's been hurt twice and went through that wildness period, and he just wasn't getting the payback for going through all of that, evidently."
Nightmare in 2000 playoffs
Ankiel, 25, had been scheduled to start in a "B" game Wednesday that was rained out.
He had yet to appear in a spring training game.
Ankiel's problems began when La Russa made him the surprise Game 1 starter in the 2000 playoffs after sending Darryl Kile to meet with media the day before the game to lessen the pressure.
In the postseason opener against the Braves, Ankiel became the first major league player since 1890 to throw five wild pitches in one inning, and he totaled nine wild pitches in four playoff innings.
The wildness reappeared in 2001 when he went 1-2 with a 7.13 ERA and 25 walks in 24 innings before getting demoted. He didn't make it back to the major leagues until last Sept. 7 after sitting out 2002 with a sprained left elbow and missing most of the 2003 and 2004 seasons following reconstructive elbow surgery.
St. Louis was encouraged by five late-season appearances, when he was 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in 10 innings.
Switch surprises teammates
"I guess I was in shock," Jocketty said of Ankiel's decision. "I didn't see it coming. I'm not sure anyone else did. This guy had a chance to be a top pitcher."
Pitching coach Dave Duncan had no warning.
"I've been trying to get him ready to pitch," Duncan said. "I wish him the best of luck."
Teammates were shocked, too.
"It's a shame, all his talent, not that it's wasted because he's a great athlete and who knows what he can do," said pitcher Matt Morris, perhaps Ankiel's closest friend on the team. "But I hope one day he gets back to pitching."
Still, they understood.
"It can't be any more difficult going to the outfield than what he's been going through," center fielder Jim Edmonds said. "He's been through a lot."
Ankiel had been thinking of the switch since he left winter ball in Puerto Rico after feeling a twinge in his elbow.
He was impressive in his first time throwing to hitters this spring, but the outings since then have been erratic.
"It just became apparent that it was time for me to move on and pursue becoming an outfielder," Ankiel said. "I feel relieved now and I'm happy to move on."
Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.