I love sports. Anyone who knows me knows this, and baseball trumps them all. Its more than a past-time, its damn near my religion. Being so, the story of Rick Ankiel was most likely the most compelling/wonderous/uplifting/inspiring to come out of sports in my lifetime. At 20 years old he was at the top of the world, pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals and doing a fabulous job. Then he forgot how to pitch. He couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with a baseball. In the playoffs that year he set numerous records, including the most wild pitches in one inning. In very places in all the world can you have personal struggles so openly viewed as in sports. We read about celebrities and news makers everywhere, but it is always a second hand account of their misdeeds or misfortune. Ankiel's nightmare played out on his sports biggest stage while millions of people watched on. Can you think of something more humbling. After 5 years of failure trying to learn how to pitch again and devastating surgery he called it quits. The game wasn't fun anymore (can anyone blame him?) and he went on his way. Except that wasn't it. He was a damn good hitter growing up and he asked the Cardinals if he could try out being an outfielder for a while. 3 years after having quit, Ankiel got the call from the Cards and was in the show again. What an incredible story. A man watches his dreams get flushed away, not knowing why and in front of MILLIONS of people, and not only has the perseverance to keep at it for 5 years, but also was humble enough to start over. How many people are that strong? Not just that, but how many people are both that talented AND willing to work that hard? I can't express how amazing the story is, and if you don't have a passion for baseball I probably cannot convey how unreal it really is.
I'd like nothing more than to say that was the end of the story. I was so devastated when I read what comes next that I had to take a day to compose myself before I wrote about it. Ankiel, to me, had been the poster-child for all that is good in sports. Hard work AND talent. Never giving up. Humility. Success. Playing for the love of the game. But that isn't the story that will be remembered. What will be remembered is that Rick Ankiel used HGH. He is Bonds, Giambi, Sheffield and every other player who shits on the game. Was it against the rules, written or unwritten? No. Did he stop before it WAS against the rules? Yes. Does any of that matter? No. Why? Because if you'd asked those players if what they were doing was right, not okay or necessary or widespread, but right, they'd all have said "no" themselves. Anyone with a heart felt for Ankiel, but he committed the unforgivable sin. Ankiel's story made me feel like a kid. Like anything was possible, and wonderous things came to those that didn't simply slide along on their talents. I had told people that I'd be telling kids about Ankiel in 50 years, the story was so compelling. I took a day to make sure I wasn't over reacting because it was so stunning, but I feel worse today than I did yesterday. Nothing in this era of sports is sacred and NO one is free from suspicion. My most crushing moment as a sports fan
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5 comments:
Great post. I hate Tony LaRussa's attitude about this, like, "Oh, you people in the media are such jerks." Here's his quote from a story in USA Today:
"I realize that we're a society fixated on controversy, and that it sells papers and generates calls to the talk shows. But this is wrong. Where is the responsibility? Where is the credibility? Wait until all of the facts are in. If it turns out to be something accurate, and if there's guilt, if he screwed up, then slam him. But this is irresponsible. He doesn't deserve this."
As if, if the media hadn't reported the story, Ankiel would have voluntarily told MLB to investigate him... give me a break!
I still love Ankiel -- he's the man
You still love Ankiel, but do you condemn Bonds? Not that it is stopping anyone, but to love one and hate the other is excruciatingly hypocritical.
I don't hate Bonds either -- who said I did?
You didn't, I was simply posing a question. Bonds has been almost universally condemned, but the response from those same people to Ankiel was largely one of understanding and excuse.
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