I don't remember Bert Cunningham ...

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Posted By: S Gross

.... but, man, I remeber Ankiel's disaster:

"Ankiel won 11 games and struck out 194 batters in 175 innings as a 20-year-old rookie in 2000 and was a surprise pick to start the Cardinals' 2000 postseason opener against Atlanta. But he became the first major league pitcher to throw five wild pitches in one inning since Sept. 15, 1890, when Bert Cunningham did it for Buffalo of the Players League." -- AP


I know ol' Bert has an OJ, if some has one, let's see it .....

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Posted By: jay wolt

Just heard on ESPN today that Rick Ankiel was brought up
again by the Cardinals, this time as an outfielder.
Kudo's on the kid to persevere and get another shot at the bigs.

Edited for spelling.

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Posted By: identify7

Well then, this is really his big chance. The single game record for futility with a bat belongs to Charlie Pick, who went 0-11 in the Cadore/Oeschger 26 inning marathon.

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Posted By: Randy Trierweiler

Ankiel hit a 3-run homer in his debut as an outfielder tonight. One of the best moments of the year for the Cardinals. You have to feel great for a guy who spent the last 6 years either hurt or in the minors.

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Amen, Randy.

What a relief for Rick Ankiel. Great perseverance. A baseball story, an American story.

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Posted By: Kevin Cummings

You've gotta love the kid's perseverence.

There have been other pitchers who have washed aout for various reasons and very successfully reinvented themselves as field players. One of my favorites is Elmer Smith.

As a pitcher, Smith won 33 games for Cincinnati and led the American Association in ERA in 1887. A lame arm sent him to the minors, but he returned as a Pittsburgh outfielder in 1892 and played ten more years in the majors. He hit over .300 five times, with a career-high .362 in 1896.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/smithel01.shtml

I hope Ankiel has that kind of success.