Vital Statistics:
Born: July 19, 1979
Hometown: Fort Pierce, Florida
Height: 6-1
Weight: 210
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Family: Wife, Lory
Primary position: Outfielder
Before The Bigs:
- Stuck out 162 batters in 74 innings in 1997, his senior season at Port St. Lucie (Fla.) High School and was named USA Today High School Player of the Year.
- Was picked in the second round (72nd overall)in 1997 and earned a $2.5 million signing bonus, one of the biggest bonuses given at the time.
- Was named the Cardinals' minor league player of the year in 1998. He struck out 181 batters in 121 innings at Single-A Prince William.
- Was named Baseball America and USA Today Minor League Player of the Year in 1999, when he went 6-0 with a 0.91 ERA at Double-A Arkansas and 7-3 with a 3.16 ERA at Triple-A Memphis.
Major League Pitching Highlights:
- At age 20, he went 11-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 2000. He threw a fastball in the mid-90s and averaged 9.98 strikeouts per nine innings as a rookie.
- Second in the 2000 NL Rookie of the Year voting to Rafael Furcal.
- Threw five wild pitches in the NL Division Series in 2000 against the Braves. Had two more bouts with wildness in the NL Championship Series, which the Cardinals lost.
- Started the 2001 season by walking 25 batters in 24 innings and throwing five wild pitches. He was sent to the minors, where the problem became worse. In 4-1/3 innings at Triple-A Memphis, Ankiel walked 17 batters and threw 12 wild pitches.
Second Career:
- Starred as pitcher/DH at rookie-level Johnson City Cardinals.
- Missed 2002 and 2003 seasons with elbow injuries. Came back to the Cardinals in late 2004 and walked one in 10 innings.
- After the wildness returned in a 2005 spring workout, Ankiel started over as an outfielder.
- Hit 21 homers in 2005 at Single-A Quad City and Double-A Springfield.
- Injured his left knee in spring training in 2006 and missed the whole season after surgery.
- Hit .270 with 31 home runs and 86 RBI in 381 at-bats at Triple-A Memphis in 2007. Was called up to the Cardinals on Aug. 9, 2007, and hit a three-run home run in his first game.
Controversies:
A month into his major-league comeback, the New York Daily News reported that Ankiel received a 12-month supply of human growth hormone that Ankiel says was provided by a prescription after elbow surgery.
