Rick Ankiel Can Hit the Broad Side of a Barn if it’s 300 Feet Away
Baseball May 7th. 2008, 3:15pmFrom last night’s Cards/Rockies game: Rick Ankiel launches two of the best throws you’ve seen all year. The second one is pretty ridiculous. Also, I’d like to point out that if Derek Jeter or David Wright sprinted from 2nd to home on a groundout to win a game as Albert Pujols did two nights ago, the WWL would still be talking about it. That’s not homer-ism, that’s (projected) fact.
**If this video gets taken down by MLB, head here for the “authorized version”.**
84 Responses to “Rick Ankiel Can Hit the Broad Side of a Barn if it’s 300 Feet Away”
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May 7th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Ankiel has a “custom-made .50 caliber handgun” for an arm….
May 7th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Port St Lucie grad. good player, too bad he used HGH.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
I agree that the second one is nasty, but throwing out Willy Taveres, one of the fastest guys in the league, tagging from second to third is ridiculous.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
redlasso is kind of grainy, but if you look close enough, you can see fistfuls of HGH flying out of his back pocket on both throws.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
i think it was a red sox fan who said, “if pujols played in yankee stadium the usps would have issued a postage stamp of him.”
May 7th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Maybe this kid should give pitching a chance.
Completely agree on the Pujols thing. That was an incredible play, and I was waiting to see it again, but they just kind of moved on.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
got the ball to glaus on the fly no less.
that’s clemente-esque
May 7th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Didn’t you guys win a World Series like 3 years ago?!?
Cry for me Imig, cry.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
“WAAAAH! I’m a Cardinals fan crying because Albert Pujols doesn’t get as much media attention as Derek Jeter!”
Here’s an idea, why don’t you cry about it on your OWN BLOG?!
May 7th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Additionally, it’s Cory Snyder-esque.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
In his defense, they were the worst/most boring world series champs ever. No one believed it when they won and everyone sort of forgets about it now. Didn’t the rest of the league decided to take september/october off that year?
May 7th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Wow, Imig getting bashed today. Kudos to you Patrick. I agree with the notion about Poo-Holes. He basically pulled the play in the final scene of Major League.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
@sportsgal. How did the Cubs do against the Cards last weekend? As a matter of fact, how are the cubs doing today?
May 7th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Worst World Series ever.
/Comic Book Guy voice
May 7th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Arkbadger can you clarify how you came to be a Cardinals fan for me
May 7th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
both of those throws were great. am i the only one who thinks a great throw to throw someone out at home or third is the most exciting play in baseball.
i’d give anything to throw someone out trying to tag in my softball game but no one tests anyones arm cuz everyone is drunk or lazy.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
@Diesel. I actually grew up a Twins fan, but my older brother got a job with the Cards in 95, and got me a job working for them in the 96 playoffs. Been a fan ever since. Plus we get every game on TV down here so it makes it a lot easier.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
@arkbadger – I would care more about how the Cubs did against the Cardinals or any other team if it was the playoffs and not May 7th. But nice attempt at a comeback.
The “ESPN loves the east coast” whining is old and tired. Move on, already.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
going up the ST louis arch is scary. i dont know how you STL folk do that
May 7th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Fair enough. You may continue taunting if you wish, but when the Cubs when the division I will unleash the fury.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Benji, I agree with you. It’s especially fun for me because Victorino has the best gun in baseball and Burrell is remarkably accurate and throws out a ton of guys. Werth and Jenkins aren’t half bad either.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Henry Rowengartner isn’t impressed.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Nice throws by Ankiel though. Despite the fact that everyone hates Imig.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
who is Imig?
May 7th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
If only Ankiel could judge a fly ball.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
@Diesel. Fair enough.
But I will continue to ruffle sportsgal’s feathers all season.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Wasn’t Ankiel number 1 on top plays? The ESPN bashing really is old hat.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Ahem.
JOEY VOTTO!!!!!!one1!!1!1onee!!!!!
3 dong city!!!!!eleven!!1
May 7th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
@nomo….that’s awesome!! i remember cory snyder threw a ball from deep RF at tiger stadium and hit the top of the net behind home plate. he had to have thrown it about 350 feet, and it was still 30 feet in the air when it hit the net.
i once heard that latroy hawkins could throw a baseball over the leftfield wall at the metrodome…from home plate…on his knees. true story.
latroy > kobe > ankiel > lebron
May 7th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
gonzo, jenkins has a great arm. i remember him throwing out i Beltran at third last year at Shea. Beltran himself has a very good arm too.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
@Gonzo: Victorino has the best gun in baseball? You must only watch quad-A games.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Yeah Vlad and Francoeur would like to have a word with you about that Victorino comment.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
ichiro still has the best gun in baseball, in my opinion.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
ichiro has a fucking rocket too.
so does johnny damon. but that’s a total lie.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
I give blumpkins to LeBron James.
Are we arguing about guns or rockets?
May 7th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Marvin Harrison has the best gun in football.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I give blumpkins to LeBron James.
Disappearing Mike D’Antoni post. TBL must not have told Hot Clicks about it yet.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Jauque Jones would like to speak to you on the Shane Victorino comment.
No, but seriously, Jauque has the worst arm i’ve ever seen. i guarantee i could throw a ball more accurate than him. i’ve seen him come up throwing and the ball bounce in the outfield about 20 feet shy of the infield dirt numerous times. He actually did just last week. I’m sure sportgal and diesel remember seeing this when he was on the Cubs.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
must be the Colorado air.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Fetch, he may not be THE best, but definitly top 10 with Abreu, Vlad, Ankeil, Ichiro, et al. If you haven’t seen him throw, you are surely missing out.
Amazing how Ankiel nailed 2 runners at 3b on the fly yet still can’t throw 60 feet 6 inches. ZING!
May 7th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Finally back online. Been away from the cpu since 915 am, and only now checking email. What’d i miss?
May 7th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Please don’t bring this up, I will get angry and hulk like.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Quiet down CBH – it was a glitch in the Matrix
May 7th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Jesus, you Michigan folks really have some pent up anger. I might be mistaken, but I wasn’t crying. I was pointing out something I believe to be fact.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
@TBL: Not too much. Gonzo came out of the blogger closet. Not surprisingly, he is Buzz Bizzinger.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
@Gonzo – Diesel beat me to it… Francouer has an absolute gun. He’s gotta be in the conversation. It’s obviously near impossible to say who has the best arm, but Francouer’s definitely top 5.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Imig…now you know why ohioans love beating the shit out of UM so much.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Juan Uribe has a gun. And if you disrespect him in Puerto Rico he has no problems washing his hands clean of your insolence.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
@benji – A big F YOU for bringing up that waste of space Jones. I was at a game where he caught the ball, threw the ball WHILE HE WAS RUNNING and still couldn’t get it to 2nd base. Good riddance.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I’M GOING TO CRY ON MY OWN BLOG!!!!
May 7th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
You have a blog?!?!??!?!?
May 7th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Uncle Rico says you’re nothing but a damn liar.
/How much you wanna make a bet I can throw a football over them mountains?… Yeah… Coach woulda put me in fourth quarter, we would’ve been state champions. No doubt. No doubt in my mind.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Hef…how come your blog only has NL teams? would it kill you to get some AL flavor in there?
May 7th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
On a not-sarcastic note, my point about Pujols has nothing to do with Pujols being shorted or disrespected by the WWL — it has everything to do with the WWL having a permanent hard-on for all things Jeter and Wright.
Another example: if shortstop X makes the catch and toss home that Jeter made in the playoffs against the A’s, that play isn’t remembered all that much and isn’t replayed in Gatorade commercials. That’s not crying, that’s reality.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Imig…last I checked every highlight gets between 15-20 seconds..the highlight of the Cardinals game was Ankiel who they also have a hard on for so I wouldn’t worry to much
May 7th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
What the hell does me being from Michigan have anything to do with the fact that you put up a post whining about Pujols not getting any love from ESPN? If I had any interest in reading a Cardinals sob story, I’d check out Joe Sports Fan.
We are all very aware of the fact that ESPN has an east coast bias. So does the rest of the mainstream media. It’s old news, can we move on already?
May 7th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Is the site still crashing for anyone using IE? I have no idea why this is, but i’ll look into it …
May 7th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
@CRM – Excellent ‘Rookie of the Year’ reference.
I said it this morning – There should be an outfield assist contest during the All-Star Game festivities. They could use minor league players for runners.
Imagine the possibilities – it would be much more exciting than the Home Run Derby and the celebrity softball game.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
BTW, I watch ESPNewss on a continuos loop while feeding my infant at 3AM, so I know of what I speak.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
@roman- i dont miss those mornings
May 7th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
TBL…yea, still crashin.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Imig, I agree with what you said. FJM bring it up all the time how A-Rod gets bashed for not producing in the past couple postseasons, but his numbers are actually better than Jeter’s.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
@flying: They already have an outfield assist contest. It’s actually really awesome and entertaining. Check it out at oprah.com.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
@TBL. It crashed on me a few times this morning, but not since.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
SportsGal, your original post followed up one from another Michigander saying the same thing. That’s why I mentioned your geographical home.
Also, I never said Pujols didn’t get any love. Nor did I say he was disresepcted or slighted in any way. What I did say was that if Wright or Jeter did that, it would be replayed constantly.
Another also, we rarely write about the Cardinals on JoeSportsFan. If you are inclined to read up on the Redbirds, you can go to stlsportsmag.com for all your Cardinals needs.
Finally, the term “east coast bias” isn’t an accurate depiction. I prefer “mass media market”
May 7th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
But not crashing for me, TBL. Hasn’t happened in a few weeks’ish. IE 7.057
May 7th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Does anyone get that weird message from explorer saying, “We’ve detected an error and explorer must shut down. Would you like to submit a report?” I got that about 5 times this morning, and I never get that message when I use Fire Fox at home.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
TBL – the site crashed on me about 4 times today.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Early this morning, IE wouldn’t even let me log onto the front page. Since then, it’s “only” crashed 5 or 6 times today.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
ATL, I forgot about Franceour. He definitly deserves to be there. I was trying to type up something quick and forgot about him. My bad. He is certainly worthy.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
You guys should watch Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer throw.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
@Gonzo – you’re excused, especially considering I had no idea Victorino had a great arm. I’ve heard many people say Yunel Escobar has the best infield arm in baseball…but again, it’s terribly subjective.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
I just got locked up again, TBL. Yes, I’m on IE.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Guess that means I can start reading JoeSportsFan.
And just to get it out there, I grew up in Michigan but I live in Chicago, and the only Michigan team I like is the Red Wings.
My whole point, aside from bashing you for your blatant Cardinals-homerism on this site, is the constant ESPN-loves-New York arguments are old and boring.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I use IE at work and it never crashes on me. But these gov’t machines are a well oiled machine.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
It seems to me the St. Louis fans made the same argument over Musial not getting enough recognition in the 50’s, greatest NL hitter blah blah blah. The gateway to the west has a little inferiority complex.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Holy sheet, i just watched this video and it’s bananas
dammmmmm
May 7th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
@ sportsgal
Agreed, but one correction: ESPN also loves Boston and LA.
May 7th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
@tedkerwin
And I think terms like “flyover state” would suggest that St. Louisans aren’t the ones with the complex.
May 7th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
@broseph I am missing your point here, the term “flyover state” means St. Louisans do not have an inferiority complex or are right to have an inferiority complex? Or does someone have a superiority complex that offends St. Louisans which leads to claims that Puljos does not get the same publicity as Jeter?
May 7th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
OK, first of all- psst, folks; Firefox…
Secondly- I’ve been saying this for a long time(I’m 55, so I know from long times) that the Cardinals are the second most hated team in baseball, and it’s been born out here.
Thirdly- Patrick is dead on about the Pujols play. Had it been Jeter, it would’ve been immortalized at Cooperstown by now.
Fourthly(is that a word?)- Yes, I’m a Cardinals fan; sue me. I do not live in the Midwest, however, but in Virginia.
And fifthly- @tedkerwin- Stan Musial was the greatest NL hitter ever; look at his numbers.
May 7th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
the Cardinals are the second most hated team in baseball
Really? I don’t get that notion. Although I do hate the Cards, it’s because the Phils never won there in the 80’s. I wouldn’t rate them the 2nd most hated team though. If your logic is all the World Series titles they have (I think it’s 12, 2nd highest), then I understand.
May 8th, 2008 at 7:03 am
@ Bruce, I know Musial was the greatest NL hitter, the point is Cardinal fans seem to think he never gets the credit he deserved which in my opinion is BS, same as the Puljos argument. The point is the complaint is unwarranted, get over the idea that he should get more attention.
May 8th, 2008 at 7:03 am
And, like Gonzo the only time I hated the Cardinals was when they beat the Mets in the 80’s.