The Phenomenon

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

By: Rick Ankiel

Narrated by: Rick Ankiel

Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

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

Critic reviews

"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!

So, so good! An excellent sports memoir!

This was an outstanding book. Disappointing, yet inspirational. I loved it. I disagree with the reviewer who said Ankiel should not have narrated this. I think he did great. He is not a professional voice actor but a former MLB player and he does a fine job. It felt like I was sitting with Ankiel over lunch as he shared his story. The book is the perfect length. I remember his story as a baseball fan but loved hearing his memoir. It sent me to YouTube to try and relive the good moments and the bad. I wish that all college and professional athletes would read this book. So many reviewers say “I don’t write many reviews” or “I read a lot.” Well, unfortunately, I have to reuse those often used phrases because I read voraciously yet I seldom write reviews. But this book was that enjoyable. This is about struggles and great disappointments and realizing that what you do is not who you are. I highly recommend this book. Kindle version, audible version, paperback, whatever. Buy it. Enjoy it. Learn from it. It is a great read! Thanks to Rick for sharing his story.

Amazing

This book was simply amazing!! It is a book yet yes, it is about baseball, but it’s just as much about life! I would recommend it to baseball fans. Rick Ankiel did a phenomenal job at narrating and his writing is phenomenal! This is a must read!

Love this guy!

I'm not going to deny it. I've been a huge Rick Ankiel fan far before he ever got to the majors. His amazing talent, and even more amazing story are something I've been waiting to hear from his perspective for years. If you happen to read this, Ank, know that there were so many of us who have been rooting for you all the way. Not because of the spectacle, but because of your heart and courage. Thanks for sharing your story. Denis Phillips Chief Meteorologist ABC Action News Tampa Florida. (And if You're ever in Tampa, I'd love to buy you a Bud light!

Loved it!

I had always been curious about his story. His in depth look into his anxiety was extremely relatable. Loved it! Would highly recommend.

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.