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Baseball Guru
06-27-2001, 04:09 AM
Ankiel Strikes Out 14 in Minors

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) -- Rick Ankiel, trying to regain his major league form, struck out 14 and walked none in six innings Tuesday night for the Johnson City Cardinals of the Appalachian League.

Ankiel, the wild left-hander who was sent down by the St. Louis Cardinals, allowed only two hits. He left with a two-run lead, but Johnson City lost 3-2 to Princeton.

''I felt like I had good gas tonight,'' Ankiel said. ''I threw the ball well and executed my pitches.''

Ankiel was plagued with wildness in last year's playoffs, and the problem carried over to this season. Many of his pitches sailed to the backstop, forcing the Cardinals to send him to the minors.

He didn't throw any wild pitches Tuesday in his second straight solid outing for Johnson City.

Before being demoted, Ankiel was 1-2 with a 7.13 ERA in six starts for St. Louis.

Last year, the 21-year-old Ankiel was one of the top rookie pitchers in the majors. He was 11-7 with 194 strikeouts and a team-best 3.50 ERA.



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Jimbo21
06-27-2001, 05:52 PM
His trouble isn't nor was it ever, physical. Rick Ankiel has a mental block that gets activated by performing in front of crowds under pressure. Until he gets over that and puts up numbers in the show again, I'll just wish him well and not get too excited by what he does at rookie level ball...

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.:Jimbo21:.

GiveHyzduashot
06-27-2001, 06:41 PM
I'm not surprised by what Ankiel has done either. It is all in his head. That crowd of 2,000 he faces at rookie ball with nothing on the line just isn't the same as it will be pitching infront of 40,000 people it St. Louis in the midst of a pennant run.

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