Who Was Rick Ankiel?

Rick Ankiel was born on July 19, 1979 in Fort Pierce, Florida. He was a baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals.

While playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, Rick Ankiel was a left handed pitcher. In 2000, he gained a lot of attention from fans and from the media because he lost his ability to throw strike pitches. For a long time, he was an excellent strike thrower. However, during a playoff game against the Atlanta Braves, he threw some wild pitches.  After a physical examination, it was proven that there was nothing wrong with him physically. So, it was determined that his lost of ability to throw strike pitches was more mental.

He struggled for a couple of years. He was sent to the minor league teams for awhile and he sat out of the entire 2006 season. He will return as an outfielder for the St, Louis Cardinals during the 2007 season.