Reluctance

Earlier this month, Thomas Harding, the Memphis Redbirds' beat writer for the Memphis Commercial-Appeal, asked yours truly a simple question.

It was a question I've heard before.

But admittedly the context of his question...a sports context...was new.

Certainly, though, Harding's query brought a smile to my face.

His question was this: "How was it for you?"

The context?

Harding, a friendly bloke, wanted to hear about the Rick Ankiel interview I had conducted earlier that evening in the Redbirds' visiting dugout.

My answer was polite.

"He was...uhhh...reluctant."

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"Good answer!" said the beat writer, making like game-show host Richard Dawson.

Generally speaking, if you want to know something about a professional baseball player, talk to his beat writer.

Evidently, my description of Ankiel squared with Harding's view of the youngster: reluctant.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: You can listen to that Rick Ankiel interview with your own ears...by clicking here (RealAudio) or here (Quicktime 4.0 Streaming Slide show)]

Mystery

But the reluctance that Rick Ankiel displays, in his interviews, only adds to the mystery that surrounds him.

Here's an analogy.

Think back to when you were fifteen or sixteen...a freshman in high school.

Wasn't there a pretty girl, a graduating senior girl, that you found mysterious?

Wasn't she difficult to approach?

And wasn't she hard to talk to?

But from a distance...wasn't she fun to watch?

That's one way to view the mysterious side of Rick Ankiel.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: You can demystify Ankiel a bit...by clicking here. You'll need Quicktime 4.0]

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The first thing you notice about Ankiel, up close, is his demeanor.

No, that's not exactly right.

It's the combination of his demeanor and his appearance that is so striking.

It's like one of those "What's wrong with this picture?" features, where one thing is out of place in a photograph.

That's because, while Ankiel is only 19, and his face and body have the unfinished look of a 19 year old, his outward disposition appears to be that of a veteran (or maybe a 19 year old trying to act like a veteran).

In this reporter's opinion, an opinion based on a limited set of observations, Ankiel's disposition displays equal parts detached arrogance and active intimidation.

And as the recent pre-game beaning in a collegiate baseball game evidenced, there is a substantial intimidation component to pitching.

[Don't believe that? Step into a batting cage and dial it up to 80 MPH. You'll get the picture...and don't forget your helmet.]

So, for what it's worth, Rick Ankiel appears intimidating...and mysterious.

Talent

From a distance, though, Rick Ankiel's pitching talent is obvious to anyone with even a modest knowledge of baseball.

For starters, Ankiel's delivery has a bit of (ex-Met lefty) Sid Fernandez flavor to it.

You remember El Sid--he hid the ball behind his front hip and leg for what seemed like an eternity, before projecting an above-average fastball toward the batter.

Ankiel's trickery isn't as pronounced, but it's there, and he uses it to his advantage. As a result, Ankiel's fastball seems to handcuff hitters in a way that adds a few MPH to its 91-92 MPH velocity.

Ankiel's breaking pitch looks more like a curve ball than a slider. Its effects are best observed by observing the helpless, weak-kneed batter, who often looks like a Little Leaguer watching his first roundhouse.

That's because Ankiel can throw his sharp-breaking curve for strikes...which, when combined with his heavy fastball, leads to stupendous strikeout totals (60 Ks in 42 IP for the Redbirds in '99).

But that's not all. Ankiel's change-up, though harder to spot from the stands, is apparently well-developed, too.

So where do those strikeouts come from?

In the words of Cardinals minor league pitching coordinator Mark Riggins: "He has a very deceptive fastball...the ball jumps...it explodes at the plate.

"He can pitch up in the zone...and the ball just jumps by the hitters' bat. He can use his change-up to strike guys out...he can use his curve-ball to strike guys out...he has weapons that produce strikeouts. He's a gamer. He's an intense guy. When he has two strikes on a guy he tries to strike him out and he has the weapons to do that.

Riggins continues: "It's amazing that [Ankiel] has the breaking ball and the change-up at 19 years of age.

"We have guys in our system at the AAA level that we're still trying to teach the change-up to. Rick has all of those pitches already. It's just a matter of consistency and getting those pitches in the locations he needs to...all the time."

Which leads to...

Expectations

Ankiel is 19 years old. The last 19 year old pitcher to make a big splash in the big leagues was Dwight Gooden.

Is it unreasonable to compare Ankiel, the summer 1999 Ankiel, to Gooden?

"I think so," said Riggins. "You don't want to put that much of a burden on him. We as pitching coaches treat every kid the same...whether he was a number one [pick] or a free agent...whether he is 8-and-1 or 1-and-8...

"We treat all these guys the same...and try not to put the pressure on him...that's created more by the media...

"The expectations are also created by the fans," continued Riggins. "That's great...I love that stuff. But we shouldn't put that much of a burden on Rick right now. He's still a young kid trying to develop his stuff."

And a young kid that, at 6-1 and 190 lbs, still sometimes looks like the teen-ager that he is.

Yet one final word from the Cardinals minor league pitching coordinator, Mark Riggins.

"His body is still growing. Usually at 21 or 22 years old...they fully develop. He's got a couple more years...and may grow an inch or two..and his body will harden up," Riggins said.

"When we signed him he was just a soft kid...a little overweight for his age...

"Last year in Peoria...Rick was very low on a test administered by our minor league strength coordinator.

"Rick, he was very low in the group of pitchers. That really stuck in his mind...but the very next day he was out early, running...

"By the end of the year, last year, he had grown into a man and he's still growing."

The Last Words

And how might Rick Ankiel finalize his development?

Recently, it was suggested to Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan that a pitcher combining the veteran moxie of Kent Bottenfield with the talent and tools of a Rick Ankiel would be a superstar pitcher.

Duncan's response?

"That would be a nice combination," Duncan replied. "Hopefully that's what Rick Ankiel will be when he gets to the big leagues. He'll have his physical skills so that he can execute and the only thing that will be missing is what you gain with experience at this level.

"And that's knowing the opposition and knowing what you have to do to be a successful major league pitcher. He is 19 years old. There's no getting around that," Duncan said.

"I think he's a mature 19 when it comes to baseball...he has a very good idea what he's doing. He pays attention...he's been a very coachable athlete and he's learned a lot in the short time he's been playing professional baseball."

And Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty's view on Ankiel?

"Rick Ankiel is a young man who just needs a little more seasoning. He's going to get better with experience. He's got great ability and great pitches...he has to learn how to get hitters out at the higher levels...how to set up guys....everything comes easy for him right now but it's going to get tougher as he moves up. But I think he's very capable of making the adjustments."

Jocketty's parting shot, issued in March of 1999?

Not a promise or a commitment; just a declarative sentence.

"I don't think it will be very long before he gets to St. Louis."

And you can read the national media's view of Ankiel by picking up the June 28th edition of Sports Illustrated...and, on-line at Baseball America's site, by clicking here.