The Phenomenon

Pressure, the Yips, and the Pitch That Changed My Life

De: Rick Ankiel

Narrado por: Rick Ankiel

Rick Ankiel had the talent to be one of the best pitchers ever. Then, one day, he lost it.

The Phenomenon is the story of how St. Louis Cardinals prodigy Rick Ankiel lost his once-in-a-generation ability to pitch - not due to an injury or a bolt of lightning, but a mysterious anxiety condition widely known as "the Yips". It came without warning, in the middle of a playoff game, with millions of people watching. And it has never gone away.

Yet the true test of Ankiel's character came not on the mound, but in the long days and nights that followed as he searched for a way to get back in the game. For four and a half years, he fought the Yips with every arrow in his quiver: Psychotherapy, medication, deep-breathing exercises, self-help books, and, eventually, vodka. And then, after reconsidering his whole life at the age of 25, Ankiel made an amazing turnaround: Returning to the Major Leagues as a hitter and playing seven successful seasons.

This audiobook is an incredible story about a universal experience - pressure - and what happened when a person on the brink had to make a choice about who he was going to be.

©2017 Rick Ankiel (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Revealing, vulnerable, and triumphant, Rick Ankiel and Tim Brown provide a poignant reminder in this age of statistics- and computer-driven analysis that it is real people who play the game. Real people, carrying family history, huge expectations, and lifelong dreams along for the ride. This book will change how you watch the game and those who play it." (Jim Abbott, former MLB pitcher and best-selling author of Imperfect)

Great baseball memoir

Any additional comments?

In October 2000, Rick Ankiel felt like he was on the top of the baseball world. He was considered one of the best young pitchers in the game and was on the mound for a post-season game against the team he cheered for as a boy, the Atlanta Braves. In the third inning, a seemingly innocent wild pitch led to even more of them and he had to soon thereafter be removed from the game. That led to even more wildness and Ankiel was in the fight for his baseball career. But that fight was an internal one and how he handled that is chronicled in his recently published memoir.

When I saw that Ankiel was the narrator of the audio version, I decided to listen as I always believe that hearing the author tell his or her story lends an air of credibility to the book if he or she sounds honest. That was certainly the case here as Ankiel comes across in both words and voice as completely honest. While he had a difficult childhood by seeing his father treat his mother badly, he doesn’t blame that or any other external reason for his sudden loss of the ability to throw a baseball where he wanted.

When Ankiel subsequently underwent surgery on his throwing arm and still did not have success, the reader or listener will be surprised at how he decided to change from being a pitcher to an outfielder. Even though I knew the story behind his decision to change and his subsequent work to learn a new position, I believed this was the most inspiring part of his story. Late in his career, he played in another post-season game, this time for the Braves and he hit a game-winning home run against the San Francisco Giants.

He also spoke honestly about his name appearing on the Mitchell Report, the report written by former senator George Mitchell on his investigation in the use of performance enhancing drugs in baseball. Ankiel states that he took human growth hormone while recovering from his surgery and at the time, he checked if it was a banned substance in the game. He stated that it was not at the time (not until 2005) and therefore he decided to use it. There was no defiance, no bitterness at being listed on the report – just stated as a matter of fact.

This statement is in line with the rest of his book – narrated as just what happened without a lot of emotions, regrets or anger. It was an audiobook that I enjoyed listening to and would recommend this book, either print or audio, to baseball fans who enjoy memoirs or a good comeback story.

Great book Rick

Great book! Easy listen. Rick does a great job at making you feel exactly like he felt. I felt myself not wanting it to end.

Great story

I really enjoyed this book and hearing the story from Rick's perspective. I always wondered what he must have been feeling and he is very honest about it. It's great that Rick has been able to use his experiences to help young ballplayers. Very inspiring. Go NATS!

Ank deals & rakes with this book!

I always wanted to read this book & I am glad I did. A great read for a Cardinals fan....or a fan of baseball. Great book Ank!

An incredibly inspiring story

This is a great story for anybody who loves the game of baseball. Ankiels raw and gripping story of overcoming his past, and looking to the future are inspiring. It is incredible what the mind can do for a person, and his fight, strong will are on display throughout the story.

From childhood abuse, to a number one prospect, to the yips, the recovery, to the comeback. This story was deeply moving and truly fun to listen to.

Incredible Story

What a story! I can’t imagine what it must be like to go through all of this on a public stage. Baseball fans and those interested in mental health will enjoy this.

Insightful memoir about overcoming adversity

Rick Ankiel is known for his disastrous fall from the Major League ranks. However, his reemergence to the big leagues is remarkable. To make to the Majors not once but twice, and to do it as a pitcher and position player, is an incredible feat.

This is a nice backstory to his rise and fall in baseball. I was a kid when his career was starting and didn't follow his off the field issues. Ankiel gives meaningful insight into what transpired both on the mound and in his head.

At first I enjoyed hearing Ankiel narrate his own book. It seemed to give it more life. Further into the book, it seemed as if he was thinking about what he was racing; it definitely sounds like he is reading a script rather than having a conversation. His sentences are short spoken, but overall I preferred having him read versus a random narrator.

The book is short, and I think there are definite points that could have been elaborated more. There is a lot of discussion about game situations and pitching and not enough about what his thought process and reactions. I'm sure it was hard enough to write the things he did, but I think more mental analysis would have improved the book.

Overall, Rick Ankiel did a nice job. It is evident the struggle he faced dealing with the yips and just the thought of throwing a pitch, even a ceremonial first pitch. I might not listen again or read the print version, but this is a story about a rare type of player - one who overcomes an adversity yet still faces the adversity. It is definitely worth the time to listen.

honest, sad, hopeful and real

wow, a real life story that keeps you hopeful and yet in reality. well written and enjoyed listening to it.

Loved it.

A baseball book like no other. It touches on vulnerability, overcoming obstacles in life, and redemption. Highly recommended from this guy.

Great Story!

Awesome, inspirational story! Rick's narration is great. I would highly recommend to any baseball or sports fan.