A New York Yankees legend recently made his way into a conversation on the Joe Rogan Experience. His story was brought up by Neil deGrasse Tyson, who appeared in the podcast last month. The detailed backstory of the former Yankees pitcher, bewildered host Joe Rogan.
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Rogan’s globally popular podcast invites guests from various professional backgrounds. The conversations also largely vary in content and run for hours. The world-renowned astrophysicist Tyson released his latest book. So Tyson, who also hosts his own talk show, was on a promotional visit.
In one instance, Tyson brought up the topic of Abbott. He read out of a book, narrating Abbott’s childhood desire to play in MLB. Reading further, Tyson highlighted a certain achievement of Abbott. But next, when Tyson spoke of Abbott’s physical deformity, Rogan was dumbstruck.
Jim Abbott: the story of a unique New York Yankees hero
Jim Abbott was born with a congenital birth defect, due to which he had a deformed right hand. But that did not discourage him from pursuing his passion for playing in the MLB. Despite struggling with his win-loss record, he notably registered 888 strikeouts throughout his career. Playing for the Yankees in 1993, Abbott remarkably pitched a no-hitter against the Cleveland Guardians (formerly known as Indians).
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NEW YORK – CIRCA 1994: Jim Abbott #25 of the New York Yankees pitches during a Major League Baseball game circa 1994 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Abbott played for the Yankees from 1993 to 94. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Speaking of Joe Rogan’s podcast, Neil deGrasse Tyson said, “Jim Abbott wanted his whole life to be a professional baseball player. A dream shared by many American boys. Jim wanted to be a pitcher in the major leagues. He succeeded and played for many teams, chalking up a mixed record of wins and losses.”
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Tyson added saying, “But on September 4th 1993, while playing for the storied New York Yankees, he pitched a no-hitter. That’s when no batter gets a hit in the entire game. There have been about 320 no-hitters in major league history out of 220,000 games played. Due to a congenital birth defect, Jim Abbott was born without a right hand.”
The MLB career of Jim Abbott
Abbott made his MLB debut in 1989 for the Los Angeles Angels (known as California Angels back then). Following that stint, he played for the Yankees, Chicago White Sox, and the Milwaukee Brewers. Pitching the no-hitter as a Yankee thus remained the most memorable moment of his baseball career.
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What are your fond memories of Jim Abbott’s playing tenure?
Written by
Edited by
Tony Thomas