The Phenomenon Audiobook By Rick Ankiel cover art

The Phenomenon

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

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

The Phenomenon

By: Rick Ankiel
Narrated by: Rick Ankiel
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $22.49

Buy for $22.49

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

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 Baseball & Softball Personal Development Personal Success Sports Inspiring

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)

People who viewed this also viewed...

Ballplayer Audiobook By Chipper Jones, Carroll Rogers Walton, Bobby Cox - foreword cover art
Ballplayer By: Chipper Jones, and others
I'm Keith Hernandez Audiobook By Keith Hernandez cover art
I'm Keith Hernandez By: Keith Hernandez
The Last Folk Hero Audiobook By Jeff Pearlman cover art
The Last Folk Hero By: Jeff Pearlman
Inspiring Journey • Candid Recollections • Phenomenal Narration • Personal Triumph • Honest Storytelling • Fine Job
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  

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 baseball memoir

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
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 book Rick

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
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!

Great story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
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!

Ank deals & rakes with this book!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
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.

So, so good! An excellent sports memoir!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
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!

Amazing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
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!

Love this guy!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
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!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
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.

An incredibly inspiring story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
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.

Incredible Story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews