Rick Ankiel lived two baseball careers in one body, separated by one of the most public pitching breakdowns the sport has ever seen.

As a 20-year-old left-hander in 2000, he looked unstoppable. He won 11 games, struck out 194 hitters, and carried a curveball that baffled hitters. Then the postseason arrived and his control completely unraveled. In one inning he threw five wild pitches, unable to locate anything near the strike zone. The yips took hold so fully that his pitching career never recovered.

Years later, Ankiel returned in a different role. He rebuilt himself as an outfielder and made it back to the majors in 2007, hitting for real power and showing off a famously strong throwing arm. When the Cardinals reached the postseason again in 2011, Ankiel contributed on the biggest stage, homering in the playoffs and playing meaningful innings in another October run.

Rick Ankiel’s career stands as one of baseball’s clearest examples of how fragile control can be, and how rare it is for a player to lose it publicly, adapt, and still find a way to matter in October again.