With his playing days over, Abbott still inspires

During nearly a decade as a major-league player, Jim Abbott often took time away from his preparation to talk to handicapped children and their families.

Now that he has been retired for almost a decade, Abbott, who was born without a right hand, works as a motivational speaker and mixes in stories from his baseball career, which included a Sullivan Award, an Olympic gold medal, a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians and induction in the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

In 1999, he finished his career going 2-8 with a 6.91 earned run average in 20 games (15 starts) with the Brewers.

Friday afternoon, Abbott returns to Milwaukee and serves as the keynote speaker at the IndependenceFirst Power Lunch. Late last week, he spoke to OnMilwaukee.com by telephone from his California home and talked about his time his transition from player to speaker.

OnMilwaukee.com: You played with a colorful group of guys in Milwaukee back in '99: Jeff Cirillo, Fernando Vina, Marquis Grissom, Rocky Coppinger, Hector Ramirez, Jim Pittsley, Reggie Harris, Steve Falteisek. If we organize a 10-year reunion next year, will you come back?

Jim Abbott: Would they want me back? That's the question.

OMC: Do you keep up with any of the guys from that team?

JA: Not too much. Baseball is kind of sad in that way. You play with guys. You get very close. You spend a lot of time with them in the clubhouse. And then everybody kind of goes their different ways. They go to different parts of the country and families live in different areas. I don't keep up with as many of them as I'd like, but I have great memories of those years, playing for (manager) Phil Garner. I have great memories of that summer, although the crane accident (that killed three ironworkers at Miller Park) kind of lent a dark perspective to things.

OMC: Making it to the major leagues is an incredible accomplishment. When you look back on your career, considering the things you had to overcome, does it seem more special?

JA: I am proud of my career. I worked hard. There's times when I wonder if I could have gotten a little bit more out of my left arm and there's times when I think maybe I got everything I possibly could out of my left arm.

I was born missing my right hand. My time in the big leagues was spent ... I really wanted to be a good pitcher. I understood that I was different. I knew that my being born without a right hand made a difference to people. But, I always felt like if that was going to mean anything -- if I had some measure of success to attach to that, then it would provide an even better model. I think I did well enough to do that.

So, my time after the game has kind of gone in a natural direction toward speaking to people and continuing to reach out in a mentoring sort of way to say "Hey, anything is possible. Look at the circumstances that I grew up in. Look where I grew up -- in Flint, Mich. To end up playing on the West Coast, the East Coast in Milwaukee and Chicago. You can do it." I feel very privileged to be in that situation.

OMC: A generation of children with handicaps has used you as a role model. When you were learning the game, was there anyone you followed or did you kind of figure things out on your own?

JA: I think that's one of the amazing things about my playing -- there wasn't a paradigm for it. There were just so many people who took the time. My growing up was learning to do things a little bit differently. There were so many people that helped me -- coaches, my parents and teachers. My second-grade teacher taught me how to tie my shoes. I imagine him with a clenched fist trying to figure out those laces. It was that kind of generosity that I had surrounding me. I'm so thankful for that the people that took the time to take time out of their schedules and say, "All right, let's figure this out. I see potential in this guy."

I really was the beneficiary of that spirit.

OMC: Former Packers quarterback Brett Favre visited with a lot of kids from the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Green Bay and he has talked about how it was rewarding but also emotionally draining. You visited a lot of kids at home and on the road during your time with the Brewers. Did you ever feel that way?

JA: I certainly can sympathize with Brett Favre. It might be the first time and only time that Brett Favre and I are put in the same category. I understand that sentiment. Everywhere I went it did seem there were a lot of families that came and kids facing every type of challenge imaginable. A lot of them were missing hands.

Playing baseball, for me, was my way of gaining acceptance and feeling like I wasn't different. Being in the clubhouse with the guys playing cards and sitting down and talking and then to get that tap on the shoulder, "Hey, there is somebody by the dugout" or "There is somebody outside by the clubhouse door." It would take you away from that feeling (of not being different). It was like, "OK, that's who I am."

I might get up off the couch slowly, but once I got out there and saw those kids and more often than not played a little catch with them and watched them switch the glove on and off their hands, it just made it all worthwhile.

Those meetings, and I still have a lot of talks with kids and exchange e-mails with them, I realize that those meetings probably have more importance than any game I ever pitched.

OMC: It sounds like the speeches are a way to continue that.

JA: I kind of went into it kicking and screaming ... but it has been a great way to continue on with some of the things that I was doing when I played.

It sounds like it's going to be an incredible event with the same type of spirit that I had people helping other people to find opportunities. I'm really looking forward to coming to Milwaukee and being part of it.