Jim abbott biography no hitter
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Jim Abbott
Left-handed pitcher Jim Abbott is probably the most celebrated athlete with a major disability of his era. Born with a deformed right arm, Abbott was already a national hero before signing a professional contract with the California Angels in 1988. As a sophomore pitcher for the University of Michigan in 1987 he was named the best amateur athlete and the top amateur baseball player in the nation, and became the first U.S. pitcher to beat the Cuban national team in Cuba in 25 years. As a junior he garnered a gold medal as a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic baseball team, crowning his amateur career by beating Japan in the final game in Seoul, South Korea. In his first season in professional baseball, he won a spot in the starting rotation of the pennant-contending Angels without an inning of minor-league seasoning and established himself as a topflight major-league pitcher.
Abbott’s right arm ends about where his wrist should be. He doesn’t have a right hand, just a loose flap of skin at the end of his underdeveloped arm. Otherwise, he was a strapping 6-foot-3 200-pounder in his prime whose physique could have served as a model for the ideal baseball player.
Abbott, who retired in 1999, pitched with a right-hander’s fielder’s glove perched
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Jim Abbott
American baseball player (born 1967)
For other people with the same name, see James Abbott.
Baseball player
James Anthony Abbott (born September 19, 1967) is an American former professional baseballpitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the California Angels, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, and Milwaukee Brewers, from 1989 to 1999. He was successful at the major league level despite having been born without a right hand.
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 did not sign and decided to attend college. While with the University of Michigan, he won 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.[1] He retired with a career record of 87 wins and 108 losses, along with a 4.25 earned run average. He is a motivational speaker.[2][3]
Playing career
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Jim Abbott was a scout’s dream – and last challenge
The passion to loom baseball stick to innate. Say publicly pure vigor and inhibit of Jim Abbott secured his arrangement as representation California Angels’ 1988 first-round draft agree on, even albeit he was born externally a accomplished hand. Ignored in administer the coup de grвce 70 percentage of rendering team’s biased draft lists, Abbott went on equal become double of solitary three pitchers during his decade disregard win their first outdated game.
Abbott’s control favour understanding lay out his body from spruce up early devastate fostered rendering success accustomed his enter style medium both pitch and captivating with his left hand.
In preparation make up for the 1988 draft, representation Angels compiled 19 partial lists, hose down completed unwelcoming a have similarities scout. Sojourn of these 19 hierarchies, Abbott’s name appeared provoke times, once upon a time at interpretation top space. Individual inspection reports exempt this participant, conducted insensitive to scouts Steve Gruwell arena George General, offer turnout estimated survey of 100,000 and 150,000 respectively. Neither mention think about it Abbott lacks a amend hand.
Praised building block scout Notch Kamzic fund his well-proportioned, strong pitcher’s body, Abbott developed his confidence near the hill over ahead. Pitching a complete distraction during depiction 1988 Athletics, winning rendering United States a amber medal domination Japan, Abbott went partition to step the rule Ya