Jim Abbott loved baseball as a youngster, but the big question was whether he could play the game. Born without his right hand, a doctor told him he should give up the game. Abbott didn’t listen. He pitched and pitched well…all the way to the Major Leagues.
When getting ready to pitch the ball, Abbott would rest his glove on the end of his right forearm. Then, after releasing the ball, he would quickly slip the glove back on. Abbott made the transition so fast that he was able to field balls hit back to the mound.
Abbott grew up in Flint, MI, and graduated from Flint Central High School. Abbott did so well as a high school pitcher that he won a scholarship to play major college baseball for the University of Michigan Wolverines. As the nation’s best amateur athlete, he won the James E. Sullivan Award in 1987. He also won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Abbott was drafted in the first round of the 1988 MLB Draft and played in a ten-year career for the Angels, White Sox, Yankees, and Brewers. As a Yankee in 1993, he threw a no-hitter against the Indians. He finished his career starting over 260 games and 1670 innings pitched.
Jim Abbott’s autobiography, Imperfect: An Improbable Life, shows that dreams can come true.
