The odds are stacked against anyone who aspires to become a professional athlete. Let’s take America’s most historic sport as an example. Only 9.5% of high school baseball players reach the collegiate level, and less than 11% of NCAA players are drafted by Major League Baseball.
Such statistics are a daunting reminder of how good you have to be. Now, imagine being physically different from your peers. Overcoming a disability to get to the top of your profession seems like something out of a Disney movie. There has never been anyone like Jim Abbott. Born without a right hand, he famously pitched a no-hitter for the New York Yankees in September 1993. He became a symbol of achievement and an inspiration.
ESPN’s latest E60, Southpaw – The Life and Legacy of Jim Abbott, highlights an amazing person. These days, there is much discussion about inclusion. Well, sports are the ultimate meritocracy, and Abbott proved that he belonged. All he needed was an opportunity. Southpaw debuts July 13 at 9 p.m. ET.
To tell Abbott’s story, veteran reporter Jeremy Schaap is the ideal narrator. He’s one of ESPN’s most credible journalists, asking the right questions and putting details in the proper context. One of the key insights Abbott reveals through Schaap is that being held up as an inspiration is a unique burden.
The setting for this episode of E60 is terrific. Instead of some anonymous hotel room or even at the subject’s home, Schaap and Abbott watch a replay of the no-hitter outdoors on the big screen at Yankee Stadium. Technically, it’s not the site of that game. The new Yankee Stadium replaced the old Yankee Stadium in 2009. Still, it adds a much-appreciated fresh look.
What’s also appreciated is the way Southpaw goes into detail about how children with disabilities were treated when Abbott was small. It was common for those kids to be separated from the general public and placed in environments with other children who were also physically and mentally challenged. It’s noteworthy to recognize that Abbott began to thrive when his parents enrolled him in “regular” schools.
Abbott was a star athlete at the University of Michigan, where he won an Olympic Gold Medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. He was selected as the No.8 overall pick in the 1988 MLB draft by the California Angels and enjoyed his best seasons with that franchise until he was traded to the Yankees in December 1992. Abbott struggled in New York, but he’ll be forever remembered for that no-hitter.
No-hitters can be random. Throughout a 162-game season, there are going to be statistical outliers. Still, you have to have the raw ability coupled with luck to hold the opposition hitless. What made Abbott’s feat even more improbable was the team he did it against. Cleveland had a lineup so stacked that future Hall of Famer Jim Thome batted eighth. Ahead of Thome? Guys like Kenny Lofton, Carlos Baerga, Albert Belle, and Manny Ramirez.
In Southpaw, it’s fun to hear not only Abbott reminisce about that day, but also get perspectives from Baerga and Thome. But what makes this E60 feature must-see TV is that Schaap and his crew tracked down many of the kids, now adults, who were inspired by Abbott. It’s phenomenal television and is one of the best things ESPN has done this year.
Southpaw debuts July 13 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and will be available to stream afterward on ESPN+. It is scheduled to follow ESPN’s live telecast of the 2025 MLB Draft, which starts at 6 p.m.