Rick Ankiel was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1997 and debuted in the majors in late 1999. Before being drafted, he was one of the most highly touted pitching prospects of that year. In 2000, as the second youngest player in the league at 20 years of age, Ankiel went 11-7 for the Cardinals. He was in the top ten in the majors in nearly every pitching statistic and was second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. The Cardinals made the playoffs in 2000. Due to injuries on the pitching staff, Ankiel and veteran Darryl…
