Rick Ankiel is back!
frankhardy
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Rick Ankiel just got called up from Triple A Memphis and will be in a Cardinals uniform tonight at Busch. I know that many of you could probably care less, but I have been routing for this guy to make it back. He had 32 HR and 89 RBI's. I hope he comes back and makes a big splash.
SI.com on Ankiel
SI.com on Ankiel
Shane
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<< <i>I really hope he doesnt have another meltdown. >>
I'll never forget that game.. It was like watching a car wreck that just kept piling up.
Hope he pulls through because that would be one heck of an accomplishment.
i'll tey to get him in my fantasy league... he was killing the ball in the minors
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good for him.
That was probably the best Cardinals moment all year. LaRussa said in the post game press conference that it was his second best moment as a manager next to last year's World Series win. I have never seen LaRussa smile and cheer as much as he did when Ankiel hit that HR.
Shane
Shane
Shane
I have to think a movie and/or book will be in the works chronicling his comeback...
<< <i>Holy Schnikes! He just hit another bomb. He is on fire! >>
Yea, and did you see him popping those pills ('roids?) afterwards in the dugout?
Steve
And just as I was typing that (I'm not kidding y'all) he just made a Jim Edmonds type catch at the warning track with his back to home plate.
Shane
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<< <i>What a great story. A sure fire future movie ...
They already did it with Robert Redford as Ankiel.
Shane
The kid cannot hit an a breaking ball. The HR he hit was a mistake that hung up. Unless he gets a lot more patience and learns to lay off breaking balls, he's going to have a very low ave.
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Kevin
<< <i>He is going to come on hard times.
The kid cannot hit an a breaking ball. The HR he hit was a mistake that hung up. Unless he gets a lot more patience and learns to lay off breaking balls, he's going to have a very low ave. >>
I agree that he will not keep up this pace. However, don't good hitters hit mistakes? Even good hitters get out on good pitches. The difference between a good hitter and a bad hitter is the ability to hit those mistakes. Also, I am not so sure that was a mistake. Ankiel has pulled the ball nearly every time so far, so the Cubs reliever threw him a slider low and away and he took it to the opposite field for a HR. I will give you the fact that his average will suffer and his strikeout totals will be high, but you must admit that the ball jumps off his bat really, really well.
Shane
Shane
Shane
He is hitting .358, 9 HR, and 29 RBI's. All of that in 23 games. There are 25 games left this year. Let's say he takes 2 games off. That means he would be on pace for 18 HR and nearly 60 RBI's and he just got called up in August.
This is what he has done since his call up in a nutshell (I copied this) -
* He drilled a game-breaking, three-run homer in his first game back to the bigs.
* He hit two bombs over the wall just two days later, then added a sprawling catch at the warning track in which he caught the ball over the wrong shoulder.
* A few games later he barehanded a sure double off the wall, wheeled and threw a mind-boggling cannon shot into second base to nab the runner, reminiscent of Dave Parker’s throw in the ’79 All-Star Game. (Almost no one has dared take an extra-base on Ankiel since—the last who did got gunned down too.)
* Then that weekend he accidentally walked to home plate without wearing his batting helmet, returned to the dugout to fetch it, then got back in the box, and yanked a low outside pitch over the wall in right center for a game-winning grand slam.
All of that above doesn't include what he did today - 2 HR and 7 RBI's.
I know he may come back down to earth, but this is amazing, folks.
Shane
Shane
Forget blocking him; find out where he lives and go punch him in the nuts. --WalterSobchak 9/12/12
Looking for Al Hrabosky and any OPC Dave Campbells (the ESPN guy)
Shane