It is a clear summer night at Fenway Park in Boston. The Boston Red Sox and the California Angels are in a hot pennant race. The Boston Red Sox are the best hitting team in the American League. The Angels need a win and are counting on their rookie pitcher. The old green stadium is overflowing with die-hard Red Sox fans as the rookie takes the mound. He has to concentrate on tonight's game and ignore the crowd. The game advanced with no trouble for the rookie.
In the end, he gave up four harmless hits and, most importantly, no runs. When he got the final man out, giving his team a 4-0 victory, he starts to walk off the mound. All over Fenway Park, not only Angel fans, but Red Sox fans stood and applauded, cheering the rookie off the field. Everyone knew that they had seen someone very special.
English: Jim Abbott pitching during a 1998 Calgary...
Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, is the ol...
The Boston Red Sox celebrating their clinching the...This person was Jim Abbott.
Jim Abbott has led an eventfully life. He brought his college team to the championship in 1985, brought Team USA to gold in 1988, and threw a no hitter against the Cleveland Indians in 1993. These achievements are not what make him so special; what makes Jim Abbott even more remarkable is that he only has one hand.
As a child Jim's parents always told him that he could do anything he wanted to do. They knew that their son loved sports. They hoped that Jim would play soccer, which didn't require the use of hands, but right from the very beginning, Jim loved baseball. So, Jim's parents bought him a baseball glove. However, Jim was not just involved in baseball. He was the top scorer in his school's intramural basketball league, and played two years of varsity football. Jim's various athletic exploits...