Former major league pitcher/outfielder Rick Ankiel admitted on Monday that he drank vodka before his first two starts of the 2001 season with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Ankiel was attempting to calm his nerves after he famously threw five wild pitches in one inning for the Cardinals during Game 1 of the 2000 National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves. All told, he threw nine wild pitches in four innings during his meltdown.