Ankiel pulls another stunt

This topic has been addressed one other time this season, but it's apparently one that's not going away.

Rick Ankiel hit a home run Monday night in the Cardinals' 4-3 loss to Cincinnati. Because it was overshadowed by a fly ball that left fielder Chris Duncan called for but then lost in the twilight sky for an RBI double, there was no real urgency to hear from the former wunderkind.

But in the Cardinals' 7-2 win over the Reds on Tuesday, Ankiel was everywhere. In his first three at-bats, he was 3-for-3 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored. He finished 3-for-5 and made all the plays in center field.

But once again, Ankiel declined to comment about his contributions.

This isn't about the media. It's not a huge deal when an athlete doesn't want to talk. You move on to the next player, which in this case was Skip Schumaker, a media darling who understands responsibility. It's the fans who pay a premium price for tickets — or cable or satellite TV to watch the games — who are burned when Ankiel blows out of the clubhouse without talking.

Again, this guy is perhaps the most compelling player on the surprising Cardinals (17-11). People still are amazed by his pitcher-turned-player story. It's intriguing. Instead, Ankiel is acting like a spoiled 20-year-old. Really, he's no different than he ever was.

I had hoped that Ankiel would grow up in his time away from the major leagues, and I'm sure he has in some respects. But his behavior remains much the same as it was when he was a rookie in 2000.