Jim+Abbott

I was born on September 19, 1967, in Flint, Michigan. I was born without a right hand. Because of this disability, many pepole believed that I would not be good at many athletic activities. I eventually went on to becoming a pitcher in the MLB. As a child I spent many hours throwing a ball against a wall. I did this to practice my fielding and throwing. In high school I was the starting quaterback for my football team and I was was an outstanding pitcher for my baseball team. I was such a great pitcher that I got a scholarship to the University of Michigan. Durring the three years that I played baseball in college I had a win-loss record of 26-8. I also led my team to two Big Ten championships durring my freshman and junior years. After I played in college I pitched as a member of Team USA in the 1988 Summer Olympics. I won a gold medal and I became the first American pitcher in 25 years to beat the Cuban team on Cuban soil. In 1988, I was drafted by the California Amgels to play major league baseball. My professional career began in the 1989 season. I went 12-12 and had an ERA of 3.92, I did this without ever pitching a single game in the minor leagues. I pitched with the Californi Angels until the 1992 season. I pitched the best season of my career in 1991, I won 18 games and had an outstanding ERA of 2.89, with these impressive numbers I finished third in the Cy Young Award votings. In 1993 and 1994 I pitched for the New York Yankees. In the 1993 I had the best moment of my career. On September 4th of that year I pitched a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium. This was only the 232nd time that a no-hitter was thrown in the long history of major league baseball. In 1994 me and the New York Yankees were headed towards the playoffs, but a strike shortened season kept us from playing in them. I never ended up playing in a post-season game. In the 1995 I started out the season pitching for the Chicago White Sox, I did alright there. In the middle of the season I was traded back to the Clifornia Angels. I played there for the remainder of the 1995 season and for the 1996 season. I did not pitch well there at all my second time around. In the 1996 season I pitched terrible, I finished the season with a record of 2-18, this included an 11-game losing streak. This season caused me to retire, temporarily. I returned to baseball in 1998 back with the Chicago White Sox. That season I posted a record of 5-0. In the 1999 season I played with the Milwaukee Brewers. Because this was the first time I played in the National League, I got to experience batting for the first time in a major league regular season game. I went 2-for-21that season, which really isn't that bad for a pitcher, especially one who only has one hand. I did not do so great pitching this season. I then retired for baseball once again, this time it was permanent. You might be wondering how I played the field with only one hand. I pitched the ball with my left hand and I wore my glove over my stump on my right arm. When the catcher would throw the baseball back to me I would switch my glove to my left hand. If I had to field a ball hit to me, I would knock the ball down with the glove on my stump. Then I would pick the ball up with my left hand and throw it to wherever i needed to throw the ball. Even though I was forced to play definsively in my unique way, I was still considered an above average fielder. Currently I live in Harbor Springs, Michigan with my wife and two children. I am a pitching instructor for the Los Angeles Angels and I am a motivational speaker. I was elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this year.