I’ve been an overall fan of Rick Ankiel since 1999 and I appreciate his journey from pitching phenom to castaway to solid outfielder.

In 2013, which turned out to be Rick’s final Major League season, he had a blistering Spring Training with the Astros, going 19-46 with a 1.289 OPS. I attended one of the games in that session and saw him hit two dingers. When the manager replaced him late in the game and sent him back to the team training center, Rick walked up the third base sideline with his equipment bag over his shoulder and a giant smile on his face. That memory always brings me joy.