I Guess I Don't Have an Excuse!

by Corey Blackmur Blackmur Global

People either put their mind to something and put a plan together to go out and accomplish something - or they make an excuse. Excuses seem to be rampant with so many people. Personally I hate excuses, lead, follow or as they say get the H*ll out of the way.

Here is a story of one person who had every opportunity to make excuses - but he decided not to,,,,,what's your excuse?

James Anthony Abbott (born September 19, 1967) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher, who played despite having been born without a right hand. Abbott would be selected 8th overall by the California Angels in the 1988 draft. Abbott joined the California Angels' starting rotation as a rookie without playing a single minor league game. That season, he posted a 12-12 record with an ERA of
3.92, and finished fifth in the year's American League Rookie of the Year Award voting.

Playing with one hand...........

http://www.jimabbott.net/

When preparing to pitch the ball, Abbott would rest a right-handed thrower's glove on the end of his right forearm. After releasing the ball, he would quickly slip his hand into the glove, usually in time to field any balls that a two-handed pitcher would be able to field. Then he would remove the glove by securing it between his right forearm and torso, slip his hand out of the glove, and remove the ball from the glove, usually in time to throw out the runner and sometimes even start double plays. At all levels, teams tried to exploit his fielding disadvantage by repeatedly bunting to him; this tactic was never effective.

He played for the California Angels, the New York Yankees, the Chicago White Sox,
and the Milwaukee Brewers, from 1989 to 1999.

While with the University of Michigan, Abbott won the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's best amateur athlete in 1987. He threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians in 1993. Abbott retired with the following Career statistics:

Win–loss record       87–108
Earned run average    4.25
Strikeouts                 888

In April 2012, Abbott's autobiography, Imperfect: An Improbable Life

http://youtu.be/xOU5dogqhGc