Jim Abbott

At 56 years old, Jim Abbott physical status not available right now. We will update Jim Abbott's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Abbott was born in Flint, Michigan. He was picked up by the Ypsilanti, Michigan, American Legion team and went on to win the championship. He graduated from Flint Central High School in Michigan where he was a stand-out pitcher and quarterback. He played for the Grossi Baseball Club during the summer in the Connie Mack leagues of Michigan. He was drafted in the 36th round by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1985 Major League Baseball draft but did not sign, instead enrolling at the University of Michigan.

Abbott played college baseball for the Michigan Wolverines for three years from 1985 to 1988, leading them to two Big Ten Conference 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. He was the flag-bearer for the United States at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, helping lead the US to a second-place finish. Baseball was a demonstration sport in the 1988 Summer Olympics; he pitched the final game, winning an unofficial gold medal for the United States. Abbott was voted the Big Ten Athlete of the Year in 1988.

Abbott's University of Michigan #31 jersey was retired at the Wolverines' April 18, 2009 home game against Michigan State University. In 2007, he was elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame for his career at Michigan.

The California Angels selected Abbott in the first round, with the eighth overall selection, of the 1988 Major League Baseball draft. In 1989, he joined the Angels' starting rotation as a rookie without playing a single minor league game. That season, he posted a 12–12 win–loss record with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.92, and finished fifth in the year's American League (AL) Rookie of the Year Award voting.

In 1991, Abbott went 18–11 for the Angels, who finished in last place in the AL West with an 81–81 record. He posted the fourth-lowest ERA in the AL (2.89) while pitching 243 innings. As a result, he finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting. In the 1992 season, he posted a 2.77 ERA (fifth-lowest in the AL) but his win–loss record fell to 7–15 for the sixth-place Angels. He also won the Tony Conigliaro Award in 1992.

In the offseason, the Angels attempted to trim payroll and traded Abbott to the New York Yankees for their top minor league prospect first baseman J.T. Snow, pitchers Russ Springer, and Jerry Nielsen. He had an up and down year for the Yankees but on September 4, 1993, Abbott pitched a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians. On November 26 in the same year, he appeared as himself on the TV series Boy Meets World in the episode "Class Pre-Union".

In 1994, Abbott's Yankees led the AL East, but the season halted, and the playoffs were canceled, due to a players strike on August 12. A free agent after the 1994 season, Abbott signed with the Chicago White Sox in April 1995. On July 27, 1995, the White Sox traded him and Tim Fortugno to the Angels for McKay Christensen, Andrew Lorraine, Bill Simas, and John Snyder. The Angels held an 11-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in August, but lost the AL West division title in a one-game playoff to the Mariners.

Abbott re-signed with the Angels for the 1996 season. He struggled through it, posting a 2–18 record with a 7.48 ERA. The Angels released him before Opening Day of the 1997 season, and he retired.

Abbott returned to the White Sox in 1998, starting five games and winning all five. He continued his comeback the following year with the Milwaukee Brewers, but pitched ineffectively. This was the first time he had played for a National League team, forcing him to bat for the first time in his career. He recorded two hits in 21 at bats during his Brewers stint. Both of his hits scored runs, and both hits came off of Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lieber, albeit in different games.

Abbott retired after the 1999 season with a career record of 87–108, with a 4.25 ERA.

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• 1986 – Abbott was presented with the United States Sports Academy's Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias Courage Award for his courageous action in overcoming adversity to excel in sports.
• 1987 – Abbott won the Golden Spikes Award.
• 1992 – Abbott was awarded the Tony Conigliaro Award, given annually by the Boston Red Sox to a Major League player who overcomes an obstacle and adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination, and courage that were trademarks of the Boston star.
• 2003 – Abbott was inducted into the Baseball Reliquary's Shrine of the Eternals.
• 2014 – Abbott was one of 12 recipients of the Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards.