Former St. Louis Cardinal Rick Ankiel couldn’t throw strikes any more, so he went back to the minor leagues and became an outfielder. He had a couple of decent years in St. Louis, signed with the Royals last offseason, but has spent most of 2010 on the DL.
↵Now, former White Sox outfielder Brian Anderson, also in the Royals organization, is trying to reinvent himself as a pitcher:
↵↵↵Anderson, the White Sox’s first-round pick in the 2003 draft, threw a scoreless first inning Sunday in his professional pitching debut for Kansas City’s rookie affiliate in the Arizona League.
↵Anderson, the Sox’s 2006 opening day center fielder, struck out two and allowed an infield hit to Yair Lopez of San Diego’s rookie team.
↵Anderson, 28, is being groomed as a starting pitcher. He was traded from the Sox to Boston last July in exchange for Mark Kotsay. Anderson wasn’t tendered a contract by the Red Sox after the 2009 season and failed to make the Royals’ opening day roster last spring.
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What other failed Sox or Cubs hitting prospects might have a future in pitching?