Jim Abbott is "one of the most unusual pitchers in baseball history... a hard throwing lefthander who was born with only one hand" (No-Hitters, Rich Westcott, Page 354) and his no-hitter on September 4, 1993, was the ninth in franchise history for the New York Yankees:



Jim Abbott No Hitter Scoreboard | Yankee Stadium | September 4, 1993

Jim Abbott No Hitter (Box Score: September 4, 1993)

Six days earlier, the Cleveland Indians had raked Jim Abbott for 10 hits and seven runs in 3 2/3 innings. Now, the 25-year-old Abbott faced the sixth-place Tribe again on Saturday, September 4 before a crowd of 27,225 at Yankee Stadium. The second-place Yankees and Abbott, with a 9-11 record, were opposed by Bob Milacki.

Abbott, who the caught the ball in his left hand, then shoved the glove in his right armpit when he got set to throw, got off to a shaky start by walking leadoff batter Kenny Lofton on five pitches. But Lofton was quickly erased when Felix Fermin grounded to third where Wade Boggs launched a 5-4-3 double play. Carlos Baerga then lofted a fly to left to end the inning.

Wildness surfaced again in the second when Abbott walked Randy Milligan with one out. But Milligan was stranded at second as Abbott began a streak in which he retired eight batters in a row.

The streak was halted when Milligan drew another walk leading off the fifth. Again, however, the double play came to Abbott's rescue as Manny Ramirez bounced to shortstop Randy Velarde.

By this time, the Yankees had taken a 3-0 lead with Dion James' single driving in one run and two more scoring on Cleveland errors in the third inning. Velarde homered to add another run in the fifth.

Abbott walked Junior Ortiz with one out in the sixth, but the Indians catcher died on base as Abbott retired Lofton and Fermin. In the seventh, Boggs made a brilliant play to save the no-hitter, racing into the hole between third and short to make a diving stop of a hard shot by Albert Belle. As he jumped up from his knees, Boggs came up throwing, and nailed Belle at first for the second out of the inning.

Another fine defensive play helped Abbott in the eighth. As Ramirez struck out leading off the inning, his bat hit catcher Matt Nokes in the head. Nokes, however, held onto the ball as he rolled in the dirt in pain. Abbott then got Candy Maldonado and pinch-hitter Sandy Alomar on ground outs sandwiched around a walk to Jim Thome.

Abbott faced the top of the order in the ninth. After trying unsuccessfully to bunt his way on base. Lofton grounded out to second. Fermin followed with a long drive to center, which Bernie Williams hauled down on the warning track. Then Baerga hit an easy grounder to Velarde for the final out.

Abbott finished with three strikeouts and five walks. At the end of the season, his record was 11-14.

Source: Researched and written by author Rich Westcott (RichWestcott.com / Rich Westcott Books), original text from No-Hitters (McFarland, 02/15/2000, 'Jim Abbott', Page 355).

Jim Abbott | Imperfect: An Improbable Life | Ballantine Books

Imperfect: An Improbable Life, by Jim Abbott, was compelling. Inspirational. Powerful. Cal Ripken, Jr. said, "Terrific. Imperfect can teach all of us valuable lessons." Despite being born without his hand, Abbott made it to the show and even led the American League in fielding percentage twice, in 1992 and 1995, posting a perfect 1.000% both seasons. The New York Times wrote the following review of Abbott's book:

Born without a right hand, Jim Abbott dreamed of someday being a great athlete. Raised in Flint, Michigan, by parents who encouraged him to compete, Jim would become an ace pitcher for the University of Michigan. But his journey was only beginning: By twenty-one, he�d won the gold medal game at the 1988 Olympics and�without spending a day in the minor leagues�cracked the starting rotation of the California Angels. In 1991, he would finish third in the voting for the Cy Young Award. Two years later, he would don Yankee pinstripes and pitch one of the most dramatic no-hitters in major-league history.

In this honest and insightful book, Jim Abbott reveals the challenges he faced in becoming an elite pitcher, the insecurities he dealt with in a life spent as the different one, and the intense emotion generated by his encounters with disabled children from around the country. With a riveting pitch-by-pitch account of his no-hitter providing the ideal frame for his story, this unique athlete offers readers an extraordinary and unforgettable memoir.

Jim Abbott | University of Michigan Press Photo | Photoshop by Baseball Almanac, Inc.

In 2007, Jim Abbott was elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame for his baseball career at the University of Michigan, where he pitched from 1985 through 1988 and helped lead the Wolverines to two Big Ten championships. In 1987, he won the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States, becoming the first baseball player to win the award. In his third year, Abbott was also the flag-bearer for the United States at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, helping lead the USA to a second place finish. Though baseball was a demonstration sport in the 1988 Summer Olympics, Abbott pitched the final game, winning an unofficial gold medal for the United States.