For those of you that do not know Jim's story: he was born without a right hand. He refused to let this "handicap" define him. He was a fantastic athlete starring in both football (as a QB) and baseball growing up in Flint, Michigan. He was drafted by the Blue Jays out of high school, but chose not to sign with them - instead going to the University of Michigan. At Michigan he was awarded the Golden Spikes Award in 1987, which is the college baseball equivalent to the Heisman Trophy. He also pitched the 1988 USA Olympic baseball team to a gold medal and was a first round draft pick (8th overall) of the California Angels. He made the the Angels big league roster during his first spring training and went on to have a solid major league career, highlighted by his 1993 no-hitter in Yankee Stadium as a member of the New York Yankees.
I went to school with Jim Abbott. I can tell you, there was no more humble and genuine person on campus than him. If you ever get a chance to hear him speak (he is a motivational speaker) I highly recommend you do so. Happy Birthday Jimbo!
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