It had been more than a decade since he did so in a big-league game, so what’s a few more months when a third act as a major-leaguer is possible?
“I don’t have 18 months, no offense. I’m almost 40,” Ankiel said. “I can handle seven months. Obviously, if I’m coming back, I want to come back and be in the big leagues. This is not to pitch off the mound again. I can do that at home without a team. Why not take a shot at it? I’ve got nothing to lose.”
Ankiel, a member of the Cardinals’ broadcast team, participated Sunday in Day 2 of the Winter Warm-Up, and the next time he appears alongside Miles Mikolas and others it could be as a teammate.