Veteran pitcher, outfielder Rick Ankiel retires from baseball

Rick Ankiel had been waiting for a contract offer to come along, but it seems he has instead decided to retire from the game baseball.

Ankiel burst onto the scene as a pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1999, but after leaving the game for a short time to battle some demons, playing in only eight games from 2002-06, Ankiel reinvented himself as an outfielder, clubbing 25 home runs for the Cardinals in 2008.

Ankiel finished 2013 hitting just .188 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs in 45 games for the Astros and Mets.