The Cardinals have announced that former pitcher/outfielder Rick Ankiel will sign copies of his new book, The Phenomenon: Pressure, the Yips, and the Pitch that Changed My Life, in the Cardinals Museum from 4:00-6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18.
A limited number of signing tickets-which include a copy of The Phenomenon as well as admission to the Cardinals Museum-are on sale for $30 at cardinals.com/museum. A signing ticket must be purchased in order to obtain an autograph. Autographs will be limited to the book and no other memorabilia will be signed at the event. Fans who purchase a ticket and cannot attend the signing must email [email protected] to arrange pick up or shipping for their copy of The Phenomenon within 30 days of the event. There will be an additional cost for shipping.
The Cardinals selected Ankiel in the second round of the June 1997 First-Year Player Draft out of Port St. Lucie (Fla.) High School. He made his major league debut in August of 1999 as a 20 year old and was tabbed Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Year in consecutive seasons (1998-99). In his first full season as a big leaguer in 2000, Ankiel finished second in National League Rookie of the Year balloting after going 11-7 with a 3.50 ERA. His 194 strikeouts that year established a Cardinals rookie single-season record that still stands. In 2005, Ankiel retired as a Major League pitcher to focus on becoming an outfielder.
The lefthander was promoted from Triple-A Memphis and started his first Major League game as a full-time position player in right field on August 9, 2007. Ankiel promptly belted a three-run homer that evening, his first home run since April 26, 2000 (a span of 2,661 days). Ankiel went on to hit 25 home runs the following season and joined Babe Ruth as just the second player in Major League history to hit 25 or more home runs in a season while having previously started 25 or more games as a pitcher. Ankiel retired in 2013 and currently serves as a studio analyst for FOX Sports Midwest.