"Feel Good" Story Takes a Turn for the Worse

Rick Ankiel's return to the Major Leagues as a slugger after leaving as a failed pitcher was such a feel good story, many began to believe it was too good to be true....turns out it might have been.

A new report from the Seattle-Post Intelligencer says that Ankiel received several shipments of a Human Growth Hormone (HGH) from a Florida pharmacy that has been implicated in illegal activities stemming from HGH in 2004. Ankiel received eight shipments of HGH from Signature Pharmacy in Orlando from January to December of that year. This pharmacy is under investigation New York district attorney's office for illegal internet sales and has records implicating other athletes including Rodney Harrison of the NFL's New England Patriots and former NFL quarterback-turned-coach Wade Wilson. Ankiel has had a remarkable comeback as a hitter after his promising career as a pitcher ended abruptly with a bout of wildness. He also suffered through injuries to his elbow and knee between 2001 and 2006 as his pitching career faded and his transformation as a hitter began. Since being recalled from the minors in August, Ankiel has nine homers and 29 runs batted in with a .358 batting average in just 23 games. He has helped the Cardinals jump back into the thick of the National League Central race, as the defending World Series champs trail division leaders Chicago and Milwaukee by just one game.