Jim Abbott Speaker Biography
Famed One-Handed Major League Pitcher and Gold Medal Olympian
Famed Major League Baseball player Jim Abbott overcame the birth defect of having only one hand to become an amazing professional pitcher and ball player. Through stories, anecdotes, jokes, some self deprecation, and even failure and pain, he shows that people can overcome perceived limitations and reach their dreams.
Overcoming Obstacles
Abbott was born without a right hand. As a youngster, he spent hours bouncing a ball off a wall to practice fielding and throwing. Instead of looking at what he did not have, Abbott’s father helped him find ways to win. Abbott was the starting quarterback on his high school football team, which went to the finals of the Michigan State championship. He showed enough promise as a pitcher to be drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays shortly after graduation, but instead went to the University of Michigan on a baseball scholarship. He had a career record of 26 wins and eight losses at the school.
Gold Medal Olympian
As a member of Team USA in 1987, Abbott became the first American pitcher in 25 years to beat a Cuban team on Cuban soil. The team won a silver medal at the Pan-American Games and Abbott won the US Baseball Federation’s Golden Spikes Award as the best amateur player in the country. In 1987, he became the first baseball player to win the Sullivan Award as the nation’s outstanding amateur athlete. In the 1988 Olympics, he was the winning pitcher in a 5-3 victory over Japan that brought the US its first gold medal in baseball.
Major League Pitcher
Abbott bypassed the minor leagues and went directly from the University of Michigan to the Angels’ starting rotation in the spring of 1989. Many considered the move a publicity stunt, but after an early struggle, Abbott proved his doubters wrong by winning 12 games with a 3.92 ERA in his rookie season. While on the mound, Abbott wore a right-hander’s fielder’s glove over the stump at the end of his right arm. He would rapidly switch the glove to his left hand so he could handle any balls hit back to him after delivering a pitch.
Retirement
In 1991, he was one of the best young left-handers in the game after winning 18 games for the Angels while posting a 2.89 ERA. He was traded to the Yankees in December 1992, and in the heat of the pennant race tossed a 4-0 no-hitter against Cleveland. The Yankees traded Abbott to the Chicago White Sox early in 1995 and he returned to the Angels by mid-season. He suddenly became ineffective in 1996, after losing 11 straight games and finishing with a 2-18 record. Abbott then retired for a season, only to rebound and try again with the White Sox in 1998.
Book
His memoir, Imperfect: An Improbable Life, eloquently chronicles his journey handling the difficult but peculiarly propelling gift his “imperfection” proved to be.
Jim Abbott Speaking Topics
ADAPT - Overcoming Challenges
Major League pitcher Jim Abbott was born with only one hand, but he adapted, overcame adversity and found excellence in his 10-year professional pitching career. Abbott knows that to continue to move towards our goals we must be willing to adapt, to change, and to mold ourselves in order to meet the obstacles in our own way. Using ADAPT (Adjustability, Determination, Accountability, Perseverance, Trust) as an acronym, Abbott strings together a powerful set of words that provide five incredible strategies to help audiences reach their fullest potential.
Imperfect: An Improbable Life
Jim Abbott Books
Imperfect: An Improbable Life
Purchase BookJim Abbott Videos
Jim Abbott Articles
Jim Abbott Speaker Testimonials
Just want you to know what great feedback we got on Jim Abbott! Not only was his presentation inspiring and interesting, but he is such a humble, warm and genuine NICE GUY! Our group could not have been more thrilled to meet him. He was even kind enough to join our group for 5 innings of a spring training baseball game before heading out to the airport. Our clients got to hang out with a legend and watch baseball!
- | SEI Investments
Jim Abbott was fantastic! The crowd absolutely loved him.
- | National Planning Holdings, Inc
"Jim, I've been producing events like these for over 20 years. In that period of time I have NEVER experienced the deafening silence in a crowd that large, all of whom had their minds, hearts, and souls transfixed on your speech. You touched the hearts of each and every person on the Civic Center, and your message of adaptability, determination, and trust is now embossed on the spirits of hundreds of community leaders. The e-mails and voicemails filled with kudos and praise have been unending since the meeting this morning. You’re going to be a VERY tough act to follow."
- | United Way
"Jim was absolutely fabulous. Everyone loved him. His presentation was a perfect start to our meetings. It really pumped everyone up. Everyone is still talking about how great it was to have him here. They were really impressed. When Jim spoke, you could hear a pin drop in the room because everyone was 100 percent focused on what he had to say and he has a great message that is appropriate for anyone to hear."
- | LASON, Inc.
