Cards can't wait to call up rookie Ankiel

The St. Louis Cardinals have decided the future is now for RickAnkiel.

Earlier in the season, general manager Walt Jocketty said he wasnot going to rush Ankiel, a second-round pick in 1997 who turned 20last month but has one of the most promising arms in baseball. Thenhe went 6-0 with an 0.91 ERA at Class AA Arkansas, and St. Louispromoted Ankiel to Class AAA Memphis.

After watching Ankiel pitch six innings of one-hit ball Monday,Jocketty had seen enough that he can't wait for September to bringhim up with the rest of the minor-league promotions. Ankiel, whowas 7-3 with a 3.16 ERA in 16 starts for Memphis, will make his firstmajor-league start Tuesday night at Montreal.

"The last few days, we decided to kind of speed the process up alittle," Jocketty said.

Jocketty said the main reason Ankiel is getting an earlier look isthe demotion of Jose Jimenez, who was been a disappointment after hisno-hitter and two-hitter against Randy Johnson.

EX-CUB FONDY DIES: Dee Fondy, who played for the Cubs, PittsburghPirates and Cincinnati Reds and was the last player to bat in EbbetsField in Brooklyn, died of cancer. He was 74.

He hit .286 with 1,000 hits in eight seasons in the majors.

Fondy played in the Dodgers' farm system until being traded to theCubs. He won a spot on their roster and his first major-league hitwas a bases-loaded triple off St. Louis pitcher Ken Raffsenberger onApril 17, 1951, at Wrigley Field.

MARTINEZ CALMS DOWN: After pitching a fit in the clubhouse beforeThursday night's game against Oakland, Red Sox ace Pedro Martinezinsisted he has no animosity toward his manager or GM and said he wasmerely "joking around."

However, Martinez admitted he was upset there were televisioncameras waiting for him when he arrived the ballpark. Martinez wasscratched from his scheduled start on Saturday after he broke a teamrule by failing to arrive the ballpark at least two hours before thegame.

"You guys need to let it go," he told reporters after Thursday's6-2 loss to the Athletics.

Martinez yelled at Boston general manager Dan Duquette in front ofseveral reporters before Thursday's game, but was smiling andcracking jokes after the game.

Afterward, Martinez claimed "we were just talking. I'm just aloud talker."