by Rick Ankiel
First published 2017
Rick Ankiel stands on the mound at Busch Stadium, millions watching as his legendary pitching control vanishes without warning. The Cardinals prodigy who seemed destined for greatness suddenly cannot find the strike zone. The condition has a name: the Yips. It arrives during a playoff game and refuses to leave. Ankiel battles this mysterious anxiety disorder for four and a half years, trying psychotherapy, medication, breathing techniques, self-help books, and eventually alcohol. Nothing works. At twenty-five, he faces a choice that will define him. He reinvents himself completely, returning to Major League Baseball not as a pitcher but as an outfielder. For seven seasons, he succeeds in this new role. This story explores how pressure can destroy a person's greatest talent and how someone can rebuild their identity from the ground up. Ankiel's journey reveals what happens when natural ability disappears overnight and what it takes to find another path forward.
Genres: psychology, mental-health, sports, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: identity-crisis, overcoming-adversity
Setting: Busch Stadium
Period: 2000s
293 pages · Hardcover · PublicAffairs
Content warnings: anxiety, mental-illness