Jim Abbott

"The only thing that could stop me was myself" (Abbott). Born with a birth defect, Jim Abbott did not let the fact that he was born without a right hand stop him from following his dream of playing baseball.  He was determined to play the sport he loved, knowing the biggest obstacle that stood in his way was himself and not that he was missing a hand. Abbott was born in 1967 with only one hand. He aspired to play baseball even with his disability. Abbott started pitching around the age of eleven and found a way to slip his glove onto his hand after he threw the ball. His dream was to play baseball and he even made it into the major league, where he pitched a no hitter.  After baseball Abbott became a speaker and continues to visit disabled kids. Jim Abbott could be considered a hero because of his passion and perseverance to overcome his challenges.

Jim Abbott is a living example that when you find your passion, you should go after it and not let anything stop you from achieving it. In the book Imperfect: An Improbable Life by Jim Abbott he talks about how, "I loved throwing a baseball. It is so important to find something in life you feel crazy about. Because you are so passionate you naturally practice. The hard work that it takes to do something will come easily" (Abbott). In this quote Jim explains how once you find something that you love you should keep pursuing it, because if you really love it, practicing should be fulfilling.. In the end all the work and effort you put into what you love will pay off. After all, if you really are passionate about something, then working on it will be something you look forward to. Another example of Jim's passion is when he says, "I will play, I guess, until they rip the glove and uniform off me." ("Newsmakers"). This shows that no matter what has happened to Jim, with his birth defect and the negative comments, he is still going to continue playing baseball. He plans to play until he is forced to stop, because once you find something you love nothing should stop you from doing it. When you find something you're passionate about you go after it with all you heart, because it will not just come to you.

Jim Abbot showed perseverance when it came to overcoming his challenges. For example, "He began to develop "the Abbott move," the eventually lightning-quick hand-glove switch that enabled him to catch the ricocheting caroms--and compete with his peers" (Berg). He discovered a way to be able to throw a pitch and then slide his glove over onto his hand so he could catch the ball when necessary. He practiced since he was eleven at perfecting this move so he could be a better pitcher. Even though he had a hard time playing because he only had one hand, he found a way around it so he could still pitch in baseball. Jim showed his perseverance to overcome his challenges when he said, "The only thing that could stop me was myself" (Abbott). Abbott shows how he doesn't let his birth defect of not having a hand stop him from following his dream of playing baseball. He was determined to do what he loved no matter what obstacles stood in his way. Jim knew that he was at a disadvantage without his hand but he didn't let that stop him from playing baseball.

Abbott possesses the traits passion and perserverence, which help him overcome his birth defect; therefore, Jim Abbott should be considered a hero. He is very passionate about playing baseball even though its more difficult for him then most people. His perserverence to find a way to play helps him realize that once you find something you love don't let anything, or anyone, get in your way or stop you from doing it. Jim can be considered an inspiration to many people because he always had a positive outlook on things. He, despite his disability, never thought that he couldn't do something. He knew that other people had it worse than he did and didn't want to take anything for granted. Jim Abbott, having only one hand, accomplished what many said he couldn't by continuing to try and working at it until he got there.

Works Consulted

Abbott, Jim, and Tim Brown. Imperfect: An Improbable Life. New York: Ballantine, 2012. Print.

"Jim Abbott." Great Athletes (Salem Press) (2001): 2925. Biography Reference Center. Web. 7 May 2013.

"Jim Abbott." Newsmakers. Detroit: Gale, 1988. Biography In Context. Web. 7 May 2013.

"Jim Abbott." Sports Stars. Gale, 1994. Biography In Context. Web. 7 May 2013.

Walters, Lilly. "Jim Abbott." Jim Abbott. N.p., 2010. Web. 07 May 2013.