Jim Abbott - Michigan Legend
Don't usually get much out of the Land of 10 stories, but this guy was always one of my heroes. Great team-player, competitor, Michigan Man.
https://www.landof10.com/michigan/q-a-michigan-baseball-great-jim-abbot…
When I taught at the University of Michigan, I was thrilled to learn we lived two blocks from the Abbotts. Reflected Michigan glory.
Good read.
My junior year I rented a house with some friends at 720 Arch Street. Before one of the Michigan home games this guy came up and asked if he could check out the place he had lived in when he was a student. After showing him through the house for a few minutes I noticed his hand and realized it was Jim Abbott. I got everyone in our house together and we all took a picture on the front steps. This was pre-cell phone days. The next day my camera had disappeared, probably a friend of a roommate's friend or something. I have no clue if they ever developed the film but that one still burns to this day.
Bought my first skateboard from him (his used Jeff Phillips).
Playing for PiHi I faced him. I am proud that it took him four pitches to get me out.
PiHi?
How many kids do you have?
When Jim was at Michigan. And when he went on to have a successful career in the Majors. All props to Jim Abbott. What a freaking stud!
GO BLUE!!
Jim Abbott was my hero as a kid. Had most of his cards, followed his stats in the newspaper, cheered for the team he played for. During his last stint with the Angels, when he was coming out of the bullpen, my dad took me to see an Angels-Tigers game at Tiger Stadium. Got Jim's autograph before the game, watched him jog around the outfield in warmups, and figured that would be it. He ended up pitching a couple innings in middle relief. He maybe lasted another season before that was it.
Always glad I got to see him play once, in the greatest stadium in baseball, with my dad.
The article mentions that Jim is now a motivational speaker. Having been to one of his motivational speeches, I can attest to the fact that he's a better motivational speaker than Matt Foley.
That happened about five years ago when I was still learning how this blog works. I wrote up a board post about his speech, but I didn't add any tags to the post so I'm afraid it's lost to the far reaches of the interwebz.
EDIT: Wow, I found it. And it was almost 7 years ago.
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/update-former-m-baseball-great-jim-abbott
That's a great write up.
Struck me out twice at Vets Park in Bay City, I was a senior he was a sophomore. Was happy that I fouled off 2 pitches. Abbott was always the guy you hoped pitched the day before. Nasty - filthy stuff. Living in Boston, I would love to listen to Eck describe his pitching, that would be classic.