Rick Ankiel finds 'good place' and pitches for first time since 2004

Justin Sayers | Courier Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Rick Ankiel pitches and gets a strikeout in Louisville's Bluegrass World Series Rick Ankiel returned to the mound to pitch in the Bluegrass World Series in Louisville on Wednesday and struck out the one batter he faced.

Rick Ankiel took the mound Wednesday night at Louisville Slugger Field and struck out the only batter he faced on four pitches.

On the surface, it was a minor moment in a blowout game in an exhibition tournament played by past-their-prime former MLB players.

But it becomes more impressive when you consider where Ankiel was when he last pitched competitively back in 2004.

His story has become a part of baseball lore. A rising star for the St. Louis Cardinals, Ankiel came down with a condition known as "the yips" at age 20 while pitching a 2000 playoff game. He walked four people and threw five wild pitches in a single inning.

He tried for years, mostly in the minors, to overcome the condition. Instead, Ankiel ultimately remade himself as a power hitter and strong-armed outfielder, enjoying a second career that ended in 2013.

Now 39, Ankiel is in Louisville this week for the Bluegrass World Series, a tournament that features a team of former MLB stars facing off against semi-professional and college players.

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With his team, the Louisville Stars, up 15-2 in the final inning, Ankiel and his teammates lobbied for him to get a chance to pitch. His manager, Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench, obliged.

Ankiel told the Courier Journal on Thursday that his mindset as he walked to the mound was "I'm going to strike this guy out."

"I'm in such a good place internally, I was like 'This is going to be fun,'" Ankiel said. "On the other hand, I was not afraid to fail. I could care less if I would have thrown one off the backstop. What does it matter? It doesn't matter to me."

Facing Hattiesburg Black Sox first baseman Eric Wilkes, Ankiel missed with a first-pitch fastball up and away. He followed that with two consecutive called strikes: a fastball on the outside corner, and curveball right down the middle. Wilkes struck out chasing a fastball high and away.

"It just reminded me of old times of being out there and overpowering guys, not that I have the stuff that I used to," Ankiel said. "It's just exciting fun and enjoyable — really enjoyable."

Former @Cardinals Rick Ankiel strikes out the only batter he faced tonight. Cool to see him back on the mound. 🔥



Also went 2-for-4 at the plate with 4 RBI’s. pic.twitter.com/b09gUK4Glb — Jevin Redman (@Jevin_13) August 2, 2018

Bench then came to the mound, pulled Ankiel and shook his hand. Ankiel walked off the field to a standing ovation and tipped his cap. His teammates spilled out of the dugout to meet him on the warning track.

"Baseball is a brotherhood," he said. "Whether these guys were with me when I was going through those throwing troubles or not, they understand them."

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Ankiel has been one of the MVPs of the tournament so far for the Louisville Stars. In the team's opening game Monday, he threw a runner out at second base from right field. He went 2-for-4 on Wednesday with two RBIs.

"I consider myself an athlete," he said. "This is one of the weeks where you got to back it up. Put your play where your mouth is."

But on Thursday, Ankiel admitted his arm was a little sore. And he was enjoying some much-needed downtime at Kentucky Kingdom riding roller coasters with his wife, Lory, and two kids, Declan, 7, and Ryker, 6.

Ankiel said that what made Wednesday's performance more special was that he got to share the experience with his family, because they weren't around for his playing days or his struggles.

"To have them here to see me playing, it's awesome," he said.

Ankiel recently launched a website — RickAnkielOnline.com — to try and help other people who are suffering from the yips. Before that, he served as a life coach in the Washington Nationals' organization to mentor major and minor league players.

Asked if his pitching performance elicited any regrets of leaving the mound, Ankiel shrugged it off.

"At the time that I made all the decisions I've ever made in my career, I took all the information at the time and made the best decision I could do at the time," he said. "Stepping back on the mound now, I'm just in a completely different place."

Justin Sayers: 502-582-4252; jsayers@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @_JustinSayers. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/justins.