Rick Ankiel....what are his chances?

[crapshooter]

I saw where Ankiel is giving up pitching to switch positions to try and make the team as outfielder. I can't see this happening but he is out of options...anyone think he has any chance at all of making it as a hitter? I know not this year, but in the future?

[Mercer Boy]

Well, he's 25...so he only has a few more years to get locked in before he hits the "plateau" of development. He wasn't a bad hitting pitcher, but I still don't know how he's going to be able to start from square one and become a ML caliber player - let alone at the outfield position. My guess is that he becomes a perennial AA player.

[j_d_mcnugent]

he has a nice swing. i think he could potentially make it as a reserve outfielder/pinch hitter. i dont know whether that is something he really wants to do though.

[Minor League Skilz]

I know that there are tons of guys that never get a chance to make it in the Show, but you have to feel a little bit bad for this guy. He has got a set of brass ones to try to make the switch at this stage in his career.

If he makes the team as a bench player Disney should make a movie about him.

[Pogotheostrich]

Tony LaRussa won't give Rick Ankiel many at-bats this spring because ''he's not going to make our team.''

LaRussa is just stating the obvious. Another team could claim Ankiel off waivers when he is cut in hopes that he'll rethink his decision not to pitch. It's more likely that he will try to convert to the outfield as a minor leaguer in the St. Louis system.

[bigjimblue]

Well, he'll never make the transition as well as Babe Ruth!

[kev921]

I'd say he has a snow balls chance of surving in St Louis in August for this season. Who knows, with the age of their current OF's he could make the club next season (of course I have no idea how well of a hitter he is)

[hybrid]

I'd say look at the name you choose to have at the cafe, those are pretty much his chances.

[LBJackal]

I doubt he's a good enough OF to to make it past Single A. He hasn't hit against anything above Rookie Ball pitching since 1999, and even then he was a bad hitter. He's toast unless he's a pitcher.

[rich101682]

I know that there are tons of guys that never get a chance to make it in the Show, but you have to feel a little bit bad for this guy. He has got a set of brass ones to try to make the switch at this stage in his career.

If he makes the team as a bench player Disney should make a movie about him.

Not a set of brass ones so much as not being able to do much else because he never went to college.


ALso, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he hit a homer in each of his first two ML starts?