A great and inspiring story emerged from the world of sports yesterday. Former Major League Pitcher Rick Ankiel made his major league debut with his old team, the St. Louis Cardinals, as an outfielder. In 1998, Ankiel signed with the Cardinals right out of High School and was promptly rewarded with a 2.5 million dollar signing bonus. Ankiel was named Minor League Baseball Player of the Year in 1999 and some scouts considered him one of the greatest pitching prospects ever. He finished second in the voting for National League Rookie of the Year. Ankiel pitched for the Cardinals from 1999 to 2001. He was second in the league in strike outs per nine innings and hits allowed per nine innings.
At age 21 he started Game One of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves. Ankiel was a hard throwing, young, left hander with a long promising career ahead of him…..until the third inning of that game. Ankiel tied a major league record five wild pitches in that inning. In the next Playoff Series versus the Mets, his control issues continued and he was removed from the game after only 20 pitches. Ankiel’s problems were not injury related or due to his mechanics. It was all mental. Ankiel tried several times to overcome his control issues and make it back to the Big Leagues, but his attempts led to failure each time.
Here is where some strategic thinking kicked in. Ankiel’s wild pitching woes led him to analyze the forces shaping his career. He had every opportunity to quit with the realization that he would never play in the Major Leagues again. But after some analysis, he decided to try a different approach and give playing outfield a try.
This meant learning an entirely new position and learning to hit a baseball with more frequency then he had hit as a pitcher. This transition to outfielder and hitter took lots of hard work, determination, study, practice, and still using the gifts he was blessed with as a pitcher.
In 2005 Ankiel started the process of transitioning from pitcher to outfielder. This year, Ankiel led the AAA Pacific Coast League in home runs with 32 and hit a respectable .267. On defense, he had 7 errors in 95 games. Ankiel was called up August 9, 2007 to the Majors and hit a three run homerun in the 7th inning helping the Cardinals defeat the Padres 5-0.
Since hearing about this achievement I noticed how Rick Ankiel used “Strategic Thinking Skills” to overcome a huge set back in his career and make the most of the situation he created. Ankiel could have easily chosen to give up, but he “Defined Scenarios” for himself and looked at the landscape of baseball and the Cardinals organization as a whole to see where his talents could be best used. He “Charted a Course” for himself and set goals, timelines, and worked with coaches to make progress to achieve his targets. He “Mobilized and Sustained” his efforts despite naysayers and the doubting public. His story is a great lesson for using strategic thinking to persevere and overcome obstacles. Imagine being one of the best in the world at something and one day not being able to do what you do best due to your own mental block.
I am not a Cardinals fan, but I will certainly be pulling for Rick Ankiel as he continues his courageous and strategic path in Major League Baseball.
