Jim Abbott

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Abbott graduated from Flint Central High School and grew up in the East Village area of Flint, Michigan. He was drafted out of high school by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 36th round of the 1985 MLB draft but didn’t sign and decided to attend college. While with the University of Michigan, he got the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's best amateur athlete in 1987 and won a gold medal in the demonstration event at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He was drafted in the first round of the 1988 MLB draft and reached the major leagues the next year. As a member of the New York Yankees, he threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians in 1993. He retired with a career record of 87 wins and 108 losses along with a 4.25 earned run average. He then became a motivational speaker.

In Their Own Story

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the infield grass of Angel Stadium. Jim Abbott stood on the mound, the silence of the crowd palpable as he prepared for the next batter. He reached down, his left hand gripping the baseball while his right sleeve hung empty and still. With a practiced motion, he removed the glove from his left hand, tucking it securely into his belt loop. The stadium held its breath, not in pity, but in anticipation of the magic that was about to unfold.

Reader's Guide

When preparing to pitch the ball, Abbott would rest his glove on the end of his right forearm. After releasing the ball, he would quickly slip his hand into the glove, usually in time to field any balls that a two-handed pitcher would be able to field. Then he would secure the glove between his right forearm and torso, slip his hand out of it, and remove the ball from it, usually in time to throw out the runner at first or sometimes even start a double play. At all levels, teams tried to exploit his fielding disadvantage by repeatedly bunting to him. Batting was not an issue for Abbott for the majority of his career, since the American League used the designated hitter, and he played only two seasons in the interleague play era. But he tripled in a spring training game in 1991 off Rick Reuschel, and when he joined the National League's Milwaukee Brewers in 1999, he had two hits in 21 at-bats, both off Jon Lieber.

Did You Know?

• Abbott won the James E. Sullivan Award in 1987 as the top amateur athlete in the United States, becoming the first baseball player to win the award.
• He pitched a no-hitter for the New York Yankees against the Cleveland Indians on September 4, 1993.
• Abbott's University of Michigan #31 jersey was retired at the Wolverines' April 18, 2009 home game.
• He was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
• In 1992, Abbott won the Tony Conigliaro Award for overcoming adversity.