Left-hander's comeback for late-season return on track

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) _ Just a few years ago, Rick Ankiel was a can't-miss teen-age phenom for the St. Louis Cardinals. In May, when he's hopeful of throwing off a mound

Tuesday, March 16th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) _ Just a few years ago, Rick Ankiel was a can't-miss teen-age phenom for the St. Louis Cardinals. In May, when he's hopeful of throwing off a mound for the first time following reconstructive elbow surgery, it'll be three years since his last major league appearance.

Ankiel is only 24, but feels much older. That's because he's encountered nothing but woe since a big rookie season in 2000. He spent most of 2001 in the minors, missed all of the 2002 season with an elbow strain, then underwent reconstructive elbow surgery last July after going 2-6 with a 6.29 ERA for the Class AA Tennessee Smokies.

Right now, he's limited to playing catch every other day. The earliest he'll return to pitch competitively is August.

``I think it has been forever,'' Ankiel said. ``The funny thing is I'm still young, but I don't feel like it sometimes.''

Not much has gone right for the left-hander once filled with promise. The one-time USA Today high school player of the year arrived in the big leagues at age 19 with a high 90s fastball that mowed down hitters.

In 2000 he had 194 strikeouts in 175 innings while going 11-7.

That's the end of the highlights. Next came an epic bout of wildness as his stuff began unraveling in Game 1 of the 2000 playoffs. He threw five wild pitches in 2 2-3 innings against the Braves, then four more in 1 1-3 innings against the Mets in the NLCS.

The following May, he was demoted to the minors because he couldn't throw his fastball for strikes.

Now, he's on a slow and steady path to recovery.

``There's a history with that surgery, so what you don't want to do is be impatient and push him,'' manager Tony La Russa said. ``They've got a nice program, and the big thing is to get him 100 percent healthy so when he comes back he stays back.''

La Russa is looking forward to that day.

``I'd bet on Rick Ankiel,'' he said.

Ankiel has been injured so much, he worries about every little ache.

``The only problem is I have a tendency that every time I feel any little thing I think 'Oh, what is that?''' Ankiel said. ``I'm really feeling great, but I'm really paying attention to that.''

He's never been very good at patience, either, although he's working on it.

``I'm out there and I want to throw it 100 mph,'' he said. ``But I need to let time take care of itself.

``I almost feel like I don't have time. But I do.''