On This Date in Sports September 4, 1993
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Jim Abbott of the New York Yankees throws a No-Hitter, beating the Cleveland Indians 4-0 at Yankee Stadium. Abbott who was born without a right hand but taught himself how to pitch and catch by flipping his glove on the end of his forearm. Abbott, who struck out three and walked five improved to 10-11 on the season with the win.
James Anthony Abbott was born on September 19, 1967. Born without a right hand, Abbott learned to play baseball by quickly flipping on and off his glove which he would tuck on the end of his right forearm. Abbott first caught the eye of scouts while pitching at Flint Central High School. Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 36th round of the 1985 draft, Abbott chose instead to play baseball at the University of Michigan. While at Michigan, Jim Abbott pitched the Wolverines to a pair of Big Ten Championships. He later pitched for Team USA in the 1987 Pan-Am Games and the 1988 Olympics. At the Pan-Am Games, Abbott was the flag bearer for Team USA, and in the Seoul Olympics was the winning pitcher as the United States won an unofficial Gold Medal. While at Michigan, Abbott won the Golden Spikes Award given to the best amateur baseball player, and the James E. Sullivan Award to the best amateur athlete in 1987.
Jim Abbott, who was the eighth overall pick by the California Angels, made his debut in 1989 without ever playing in the minor leagues. When he took the mound for the Angels, he became baseball’s second one-handed baseball player joining Pete Gray who played with the St. Louis Browns in 1944. Abbott went 12-12 with a 3.92 ERA and finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting in the American League. After four seasons in Anaheim, Jim Abbott was traded to the New York Yankees for three prospects, highlighted by J.T. Snow.
Like most of his career, Jim Abbott’s first season in pinstripes had its ups and downs. The 1993 season had been one of renewal for the Yankees, who after several down years were in contention for the American League East against the Toronto Blue Jays. The young Yankees managed by Buck Showalter were buoyed by the addition of veterans Paul O’Neill and Wade Boggs, as George Steinbrenner returned after a two-year banishment. The Cleveland Indians managed by Mike Hargrove meanwhile were also a team on the verge of a turnaround. The night before Abbott’s No-Hitter, Manny Ramirez playing in his second game in the Majors tormented the Yankees, getting his first three career hits, two of which were home runs, with many fans and family from Washington Heights on hand.
While Jim Abbott was on the mound for New York, Bob Milacki was getting the start for the Tribe. Neither team was able to manage a hit in the first two innings. In the third inning, Mike Gallego led off with a walk. Wade Boggs singled with one out after Randy Velarde failed to get down a bunt. The next hitter Dion James singled home Gallego, while the Indians handled the baseball like a hot potato as two errors allowed James along with Boggs to circle the bases and make the score 3-0 in favor of the Yankees. With three runs in his pocket, Jim Abbott had the Indians busting worms all games as they had trouble getting the ball out of the infield and managed to get the Tribe to hit into a pair of double plays to overcome the five walks he issued. Velarde led off the fifth inning with a home run making it 4-0 New York. In the ninth inning, with history on the line, Jim Abbott got Kenny Lofton to ground out to short. Felix Fermin followed with a fly ball to Bernie Williams in center. The last hope for the Indians was Carlos Baerga, who grounded to Velarde at short who made the easy toss to Don Mattingly at first base to complete the No Hitter.
Jim Abbott would go on to finish the season with an 11-14 record and an ERA of 4.37. Despite the No-Hitter, the Yankees faded down the stretch as the Blue Jays won the East and went on to win a second straight World Series. Abbott would spend two years with the Yankees, before bouncing around over the final five seasons in his career.