Murray State University Athletics
Riggins has made a lengthy career of helping other pitchers' careers
8/5/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
In professional sports, there are those who work under the radar and others who get the spotlight. Consider former Murray State baseball player Mark Riggins in the group that works without much fanfare. Riggins, the roving pitching instructor for the St. Louis Cardinals, recently watched one of his star pupils make an encouraging comeback.
Rick Ankiel, who had not pitched in 13 months, returned to the mound on Aug. 2 in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and pitched for the Class-A Palm Beach Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. Ankiel, who seems fully recovered from Tommy John (shoulder) surgery, retired six of the seven batters he faced in two innings, striking out the last two batters he faced. This leaves Riggins extremely happy, considering the time and effort he has put into getting Ankiel back to where he once was.
To fully understand what a nice story this is for Rick Ankiel, you first have to understand what he's been through in the last couple of years. His wildness was so bad, the media covered every pitch with the curiosity of watching a carnival sideshow. In the 2000 playoffs against the Braves, Ankiel became the first pitcher in 110 years to throw five wild pitches in one inning. Then, in the National League Championship Series against the Mets, he threw four wild pitches in 1-1/3 innings.
That week began a downward spiral for Ankiel. He struggled again with his control in the 2001 season, prompting the Cardinals to send him to the minors. He's never been back, and arm trouble last July sounded another alarm. Riggins saw this and became a frequent companion of Ankiel.
"I wouldn't say I'm a father figure to him; I'm just doing whatever I can to help him come back," Riggins said. "I was with him once a week during spring training and wrote his rehab throwing program. I also spent 30 days with him in 2001, basically going back to square one with him."
In his 26th season with the Cardinals organization, Mark has done everything in his power to get Ankiel back on track. Whether he sees Ankiel throw or not, he's there, in a way.
"Even when I'm not with him in person, I'm mentally with him," Riggins said. "I care about how he does and, of course, all of our minor league pitchers."
Riggins pitched for Murray State from 1975 to 1979. He pitched for the Cardinals minor leagues for 4-1/2 seasons before becoming a full-time coach, and has been a Redbird ever since.
"There aren't a lot of guys who have been with one team for 26 years like I have," he said. "I'm so glad I took that coaching job when Lee Thomas offered it to me years ago."
Either working with Rick Ankiel or the other Cardinals prospects, Riggins takes what he learned under legendary Murray State coach Johnny Reagan with him every day.
"The discipline I learned under Coach Reagan has been invaluable to me," Riggins said. "Everything from practicing like you play to game situations, I'm thankful for the years I played for Johnny."
So, the next time you see a St. Louis Cardinals minor league pitcher make it to the big leagues, you should know a former Murray State player -- now a great coach -- helped him get there.
