a chad hermansen sighting!

Anyone else still have him in their keeper league?

Let's see - six walks to twenty-six strikeouts. He'll be 28 in July. Something tells me that a return to the majors for anything more than a cup of coffee isn't as likely as this article makes it seem.

Probably true, JRE, but you could do worse if you're looking for a fifth outfielder. He's got power, he's apparently got a bit of speed, he can handle all three outfield positions, and he's got a cannon arm.

I can't imagine he's a much worse ballplayer than Ludwick, Jason Tyner, Freddie Bynum, Tommy Murphy or any number of guys drawing MLB paychecks as spare-parts outfielders.

Let's see - six walks to twenty-six strikeouts.

It'd be more of a problem if it were 9/39 with 121 ABs: same ratio, but far fewer PAs with contact. 26 Ks in 121 ABs is well inside the danger line, suggesting that Ankiel isn't flailing around wildly up there.

Far more of a issue, for me, is the fact that he has just 7 EBH that are *not* home runs, compared to nine HR. That suggests that he's hitting lazy fly balls, some of which carry over the fence, rather than making solid contact. His relatively low line-drive rate (just 11 LD on 98 BIP, with the caveat that minor league BIP stats aren't that reliable) also suggests the same thing.

-- MWE

you could do worse if you're looking for a fifth outfielder. He's got power, he's apparently got a bit of speed, he can handle all three outfield positions, and he's got a cannon arm.

And if Ankiel was 22, I'd be impressed with this tools package. At 27, not so much. Can he do Ryan Ludwick's job? Sure, but so can lots of fringy AAAA players.

If he wasn't Rick Ankiel, nobody would be paying any attention to him. I don't see articles about Darnell McDonald or Hiram Bocachica or Marlon Byrd or Val Pascucci.

Sure. Ankiel's story is primarily a human interest story. (Nearly?) everybody wants to see a kid that appeared to have all the talent in the world, who completely fell apart on a huge stage, make it back to The Show with a team that's stuck with him through hell and high water. It'd be a great story.

It wouldn't be nearly as interesting if it was, say, Darnell McDonald. There's nothing unique about a story that goes "toolsy first-rounder disappoints for a few years in the low minors, inexplicably gets called up after hitting .234 in Ottawa, flames out in a brief major league trial, gets suspended for drug use, then gets another cup of coffee with the worst team in the league".

Has he given up pitching completely? I'd think there would be some value in a guy who could be a 4th or 5th outfielder (competently) and a mopup longman or LOOGY.

(Sorry - I didn't RTFA)

He's given up pitching completely, bunyon. He hasn't thrown a pitch in anger since 2004.

I'm not quite sure I understand the pessimism. Yes, his peripherals are not that great, especially the low BB rate and questionable XBH rate. But in terms of development, he's 2+ years into becoming a hitter. If he were 23-4 and putting up these stats, would he be any more interesting? Not really...he'd still be a useful 4th or 5th outfielder with a little speed/power, with a shelf life in the majors of 2-4 years. Is that a useful part on a ballclub? Yes. The only reason people seem to get especially worked up about Ankiel is because he was *so* promising as a pitcher, it almost seems a waste for him to be a 4th/5th OF. I look at it and say, at least the guy still loves to play and isn't off opening a mechanic shop or something (can't recall the former prospect, but he's one).

It wouldn't be nearly as interesting if it was, say, Darnell McDonald.

Ah, but which would be the bigger story--Ankiel making it back as a 5th outfielder, or McDonald making it back while posting a 133 ERA+ and striking out nearly 200 in 30 starts?

let's get Dennis Quaid to play him in the movie

If you guys are doubting his ability to play in the majors, I would direct you to this:

Taguchi--73 PA
Wilson--68 PA
Schumaker--47
Ludwick--36
Encarnacion--22

The HIGH OPS of the bunch is Taguchi, with a .610.

It's amazing he's made it this far. I really don't care if he ever amounts to anything in the majors. God bless him.