Jim Abbott

Jim Abbott was born without a right hand, and even with what most would consider a severe disability, he made his way into Major League Baseball as a first-round draft pick. Abbott chose to focus on his ability, rather than his disability, throughout his entire baseball career and constantly urged others to do the same. Abbott won almost 100 games during his illustrious Major League career, the pinnacle of which was his pitching of a no-hitter in 1993. Prior to becoming a Major League pitcher, Abbott pitched the winning game for his country in the 1988 Summer Olympics, and brought home the gold medal for the United States. More recently, Abbott has joined forces with the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS), in their groundbreaking initiative to promote the employment of people with disabilities. Abbott is the premiere spokesperson for the “Ability Transcends Challenges” program (ATC).