Rick Ankiel
Rick Ankiel is a former Major League Baseball player known for his transition from pitcher to outfielder.
Richard Alexander Ankiel
Baseball Player
July 19, 1979
Cancer
45
Fort Pierce, Florida
Rick Ankiel, a retired American professional baseball player, was renowned for his exceptional pitching skills and later transitioned to playing in the outfield. In 2000, he was awarded Rookie of the Year and played a significant role in leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a National League pennant. Ankiel notably hit two home runs in a single playoff game in 2008. In 2017, he wrote a memoir called “The Phenomenon: Pressure, the Yips, and the Pitch that Changed My Life,” which chronicles his battle with anxiety and his successful shift to the outfield. An intriguing aspect of Ankiel’s career is his rare transition from being a pitcher to an outfielder in Major League Baseball.