Book Report – The Phenomenon by Rick Ankiel

Subtitled “Pressure, the Yips, and the Pitch that Changed My Life” this book is the autobiography of Rick Ankiel, a baseball prodigy who began his career as a pitcher before transitioning into a solid major league outfielder. However, those words don’t do justice to what Rick Ankiel did in baseball.

Ankiel was drafted out of high school as a pitching sensation and reached the major leagues at the age of 20. The following year, on the grand stage of the playoffs, he lost control of his pitches and fell victim to a “curse” commonly called “the yips”. There is no official physical or psychological issue associated with the issue, yet it has plagued multiple stars throughout baseball and causes them to lose the ability to perform basic tasks of the game.

Ankiel’s issue was so severe that he was never the same again and was nearly driven out of baseball. In a crazy turn of events, he was able to begin a second career as an outfielder and enjoyed several more years at the major league level. This transition had never been done before and most likely won’t occur again for a very long time.

Rick Ankiel’s baseball story is remarkable in and of itself. However, the story of his psychological battles as he endured these events is just as fascinating.

At just over 300 pages, or six and a half hours, The Phenomenon is a quick, enjoyable read that is both intriguing and inspiring.