Would you ask Ankiel if he would pitch?

He was pretty average in 2004 when he pitched for the Cardinals.

one day a week...  if it taught our hitters to hit lefties he'd be more valuable than carpenter without having to deal with any stress at all.

Nothing would make me happier than to see Ankiel come in and show us some of the same stuff that made him such a feared young prospect in 2000.  However, he has made it very clear to many sources, especially LaRussa, that he has no desire to return to the mound.  He has been pleasantly effective in the OF so far and I hope he continues to be.  Even though he has the potential, I believe that we will simply have to be content with his cannon coming from beyond the dirt and his bat providing some sorely needed support.  Good question, but it simply isn't going to happen.

I don't see why he couldn't someday.  Right now, no.  But let's put on the rose-tinted glasses and fast forward to spring training 2010.  Rick's batting .285, slugging .500 to .600, a few dozen dingers in 2008 and 2009; in brief, he's up to stay and everybody knows it.  Even him.  He gets up in the morning on some gray February day and looks in the mirror.  For fun, he pretends to have a ball and glove and winds up.  He muses, "Why not?  What's the worst that could happen?  I could throw eight straight wild pitches and they'd...put me back in the outfield."

It's a different ballgame at that point.  He doesn't have to confront that demon, now, then, or ever, but doesn't that very fact make the demon that much less fearful?  Beatable, probably?  How much harder could it be for Rick Ankiel to convince himself that Rick Ankiel could pitch long relief from time to time in low-leverage situations to spare the bullpen (like when the 2010 version of Mike Maroth gives up 12 in 2 2/3), compared to Rick Ankiel convincing himself that Rick Ankiel could become a major league outfielder?