Rick Ankiel returns to help young Nationals players adjust

VIERA, Fla. - Rick Ankiel returned to the field with the Nationals on Tuesday - not as a player, but as the minor league life skills coordinator, a new position created within the organization.

By the time Ankiel reached the Nationals in 2011, he had already made one of the most resilient comebacks in baseball in the last 50 years. Ankiel made his debut in the majors at 20 and started Game 1 of the National League Division Series for the St. Louis Cardinals.

That's when it all fell apart for the highly touted pitching prospect. Ankiel completely lost his command on the mound. He threw five wild pitches in one inning alone and managed to get only eight outs before being yanked. The Cardinals actually won that game and the series, and manager Tony La Russa gave Ankiel another shot to start in the National League Championship Series. When the dust had cleared, Ankiel had uncorked another four wild pitches for a staggering total of nine in just four innings over two games. He pitched a few more games the following year before being demoted to the minors. Not able to regain his control, Ankiel transformed himself into outfielder and made it back to majors with the Cardinals in 2007.

He would go on to play nine more seasons in the big leagues, sharing some unique all-time records with arguably the game's greatest player. Ankiel is the first player since Babe Ruth to win at least 10 games as a pitcher and also hit 50 career home runs, and he and Ruth are the only players to start a postseason game as a pitcher and hit a home run in a postseason game as a position player.

Now a year removed from retiring from the game that provided him with so many ups and downs, Ankiel returns to help mentor the young players in the Nats organization.

"I'm a resource and a confidant for these guys," said Ankiel. "Anything they need help with. If they want to talk about stuff on the field or if they need help with something off the field, whatever it may be, I'm just here for them to lean on and pass along all the things I've learned along my way."

Ankiel feels like positions like the one the Nats have created for him are a step in the right direction for Major League Baseball, especially in dealing with mental health.

"I think it's becoming more accepted and more teams are moving in that direction," he said. "I felt like when I was a player, it was kind of taboo in a sense, almost like people were like, 'I must have a problem if I'm going to talk to somebody.' And it's not that way at all, I think everybody's just trying to sharpen their senses out there and sharpen their blades and get better at what they're doing."

Ankiel said it's important for him to be around the players to gain their trust. The players aren't required to meet with him. It's totally voluntary.

"I'm just here around the field," Ankiel said. "For me, I'll introduce myself and tell them what I bring to the table, and it's up to them if they want to talk about something."

Nationals manager Matt Williams, who faced Ankiel in his major league pitching debut, thinks Ankiel's comeback story provides the perfect example for the young players in the Nationals organization.

"That takes great intestinal fortitude to be able to do that, because it certainly isn't easy," Williams said. "And everything that he went through as a pitcher - our guys respect it, they understand it, because they play the game every day. He's here to lend his experience to us and be available. It's a fantastic thing to have him here in camp and the regular season.

"If anybody has an issue, from a baseball perspective, he's pretty much experienced it. The drive, the disappointment, the frustration, the success, the transition - all of those things, he brings with him. That's a great thing to have as part of your organization. He will do great work."