Jim Abbott

James Anthony Abbott (born September 19, 1967) is an American former professional baseball pitcher.

The Toronto Blue Jays selected Abbott in the 36th round in the 1985 Major League Baseball draft, but he did not sign with the Blue Jays.

Abbott enrolled at the University of Michigan and played college baseball for the Michigan Wolverines for three years from 1985 to 1988, leading them to two Big Ten Conference championships.

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.

In 1987, he won the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States, becoming the first baseball player to win the award.

He was the flag-bearer for the United States at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, helping lead the US to a second-place finish.

He was drafted in the first round of the 1988 MLB draft and reached the major leagues the next year.

Baseball was a demonstration sport in the 1988 Summer Olympics; he pitched the final game, winning an unofficial gold medal for the United States.

Abbott was voted the Big Ten Athlete of the Year in 1988.

The California Angels selected Abbott in the first round, with the eighth overall selection, of the 1988 Major League Baseball draft.

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.

In 1989, he joined the Angels' starting rotation as a rookie without playing a single minor league game.

That season, he posted a 12–12 win–loss record with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.92, and finished fifth in the year's American League (AL) Rookie of the Year Award voting.

In 1991, Abbott went 18–11 for the Angels, who finished in last place in the AL West with an 81–81 record.

He posted the fourth-lowest ERA in the AL (2.89) while pitching 243 innings.

As a result, he finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting.

In the 1992 season, he posted a 2.77 ERA (fifth-lowest in the AL) but his win–loss record fell to 7–15 for the sixth-place Angels.

He also won the Tony Conigliaro Award in 1992.

In the offseason, the Angels attempted to trim payroll and traded Abbott to the New York Yankees for their top minor league prospect first baseman J.T. Snow, and pitchers Russ Springer and Jerry Nielsen.

As a member of the 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 currently works as a motivational speaker.

Abbott was born in Flint, Michigan.

He was picked up by the Ypsilanti, Michigan, American Legion team and went on to win the championship.

He graduated from Flint Central High School in Michigan where he was a stand-out pitcher and quarterback.

He played for the Grossi Baseball Club during the summer in Connie Mack Baseball.

He had an up and down year for the Yankees but on September 4, 1993, Abbott pitched a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians.

On November 26 in the same year, he appeared as himself on the TV series Boy Meets World in the episode "Class Pre-Union".

In 1994, Abbott's Yankees led the AL East, but the season halted, and the playoffs were canceled, due to a players strike on August 12.

A free agent after the 1994 season, Abbott signed with the Chicago White Sox in April 1995.

On July 27, 1995, the White Sox traded him and Tim Fortugno to the Angels for McKay Christensen, Andrew Lorraine, Bill Simas, and John Snyder.

The Angels held an 11-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in August, but lost the AL West division title in a one-game playoff to the Mariners.

Abbott re-signed with the Angels for the 1996 season.

He struggled through it, posting a 2–18 record with a 7.48 ERA.

The Angels released him before Opening Day of the 1997 season, and he retired.

Abbott returned to the White Sox in 1998, starting five games and winning all five.

In 2007, he was elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame for his career at Michigan.

Abbott's University of Michigan #31 jersey was retired at the Wolverines' April 18, 2009, home game against Michigan State University.