Jim Abbott

I grabbed a book from my classroom. It was about a baseball player. That’s how I learned about my hero. His name is Jim Abbott. Jim Abbott was a professional baseball player who had to overcome many obstacles in his life. He has shown to the world his courage, adaptability, hope and his determination to do what he loved. Most people throughout the world know him and will never forget what he had to overcome. I will never forget Jim Abbott for what he has done and he will always be a hero to me.

Jim Abbott pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers. (http://www2.jsonline.com/sports/brew/image/1999/apr/abbott408.jpg)

Jim Abbott was born on September 19, 1967, in Southland, Michigan. This is when it all started for him. Jim Abbott was born without a right hand. He grew up getting weird stares from people and sometimes got picked on. This didn’t stop his dream though. His dream was to be a professional baseball player and play pitcher. Jim started playing when he was little and was still playing in high school. He attended Flint Central High School in Michigan. There, he became one of the best pitchers and was the starting quarterback for the football team. After high school, he got told that the Toronto Blue Jays drafted him. Instead of going to the major leagues right away he attended the University of Michigan were he led them to two Big 10 championships and won the James E. Sullivan Award, which is the best amateur athlete in the United States. In 2007, he was elected into the College Baseball Hall of Fame. Then he went to the Olympics for baseball in 1988 and won the gold medal for the United States. Jim Abbott already started overcome his disability and started to prove people wrong.

After the Olympics, Jim Abbott was drafted eighth overall by the California Angels in 1988. He played there for a few years, but people thought the Angels pitched him to get noticed. You don’t see a person with one hand pitching every day. Jim proved them wrong. He finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting and a few years later finished third in the American League Cy Young Award voting. His best feat was when he pitched a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians. It went downhill from there though. Abbott got traded to the Yankees, and was later released. Then he went to a few other teams and didn’t do well. Those teams were the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago White Sox. Jim Abbott decided to retire after the 1999 season. His career numbers are 87 wins and 108 losses and had an earned run average of 4.25. Jim also had 888 strikeouts. Through his entire career he donated to foundations to kids with disabilities. He was a hero to many kids with disabilities. In 1993 he won the Free Sprit Award, for helping kids with disabilities. Right now, Jim lives in Harbor Springs, Michigan, where he is a motivational speaker.

According to T.A. Barron’s book, The Hero’s Trail, Jim Abbott would be a hero within because he had to overcome his disability to do what he loved. A hero within is someone who has to overcome something that has happened to them. Also a hero within always believes in himself. Jim Abbott would definitely be a hero within because he was born without a right hand and that is a big disability. Jim had to have the courage and inner strength to play baseball. He believed in himself and nothing ever stopped him from reaching his dream. Jim had to train hard and proved that he could play baseball. He overcame his disability and surprised a lot of people. That is what a hero within does.

Jim Abbott is truly an amazing person. Not many people can overcome being born with a disability, but he did. He showed the courage, adaptability, determination, and the hope to get where he wanted to be. He has given donations to charities for disabled kids and proven many people wrong. Jim is a hero to many kids out there. Jim Abbott's story is an inspirational one and I will never forget what he had to overcome to get where he is. Jim Abbott is my hero and he will always be. I will never forget Jim Abbott.