illuminating, not-fluffy memoir of ex-Brewer Abbott's journey to the majors and his struggle to remain there

As a Michigan Woman, I remember Jim Abbott coming to pitch for the Wolverines. I've followed with pride and admiration his subsequent glories: Pan Am Games, Gold medal in the Olympics, major league career, third in Cy Young voting, and that outstanding no-hitter with the Yankees. Reading 'Imperfect', one gets all of the glories but also the pain, determination and sometime disappointments. All competitors, especially the successful ones, would say the road to accomplishment was not without its bumps. For Abbott, the path was steeper than for most because he accomplished this while onlympossessing one hand. The book is framed by an inning by inning examination of that epic no-hitter, taking breaks in between to reflect on his childhood, and college and pro careers.

Early in the book, he describes his daughter's innocent 'Daddy, do you like your little hand?' As we follow his story we learn of his complicated relationship with his right arm and with his self-perception. I found this an inspirational book. Most of us have been beset with feelings of being different, having to overcome some setback or heartache, or bouts of self-doubt. Jim Abbott replied to his daughter, "I do honey. I like my little hand. I haven't always liked it. And it hasn't always been easy. But it has taught me an important lesson: that life isn't always easy and it isn't always fair. But if we can make the most of what we've been given, and find our own way of doing things, you wouldn't believe what can be happen." ( )

This has been one of the best 20th century American biographies I have read. Jim Abbot's life is a simple, all-American life that has been anything but simple or typical. This book has a genuine honesty and refreshing lack of cliche. I generally do not care for biography, but I certainly make an exception here. ( )

I read this book, uncharacteristically for me, because of the picture on the cover. It shows a one-handed pitcher wearing a NY Yankees uniform standing on the pitcher's mound. Furthermore, the notes said that he pitched a no-hitter and the gold medal game at the Olympics. Being an avid Red Sox fan (in the past), how could I not have heard of this guy? My motivation turned out to be very telling. It seems Jim Abbott spent his early years trying to succeed in baseball while shying away from the inescapable label of being "the one-handed pitcher." He eventually comes to see the wisdom of his parents who taught him to treat his situation as an opportunity, not a curse, and each increase in his level of play as a gift. He ultimately grew into his role as an inspiration for people with similar disabilities. I found Jim's personal musings to be the best aspect of the book and made it much better than the average baseball memoir. The action jumps around in time, with the centerpiece being an account of his no-hitter. The scattered pitch-by-pitch narrative was not my favorite part of the book, but I have to admit that I had tears in my eyes at the end so, who can complain? ( )

ARC provided by Goodreads

When I was growing up I wasn’t really into sports. I could barely play them and they just didn’t do much for me. But I did like reading baseball stories and I remember reading in “Sports Illustrated for Kids” about Jim Abbott...the one handed baseball pitcher who pitched for the US Olympic Team and threw a no-hitter for the New York Yankees. And something about that story resonated with me, his perseverance, his desire to be known not as the one handed pitcher but just as a baseball player, and ever since then he’s been one of my favorite athletes. So I was really excited about having the chance to read his story. And what a powerful story it is.

The story alternates between Jim’s life growing up and one of the defining moments of his baseball career...the day that he threw a no-hitter in 1993 against the Cleveland Indians. Jim walks us through that day, from getting up and eating breakfast with his wife, to arriving at the ballpark, to the nerves throughout the day, to the very last out. He gives us a look into what it’s like to hear the boos and the roar of the crowd for this defining moment. And just how this story relates to his life.

Jim’s story begins with his daughter and her kindergarten class. He came for bring your parent to class day and she asked a question that he had never been asked before, yet one that permeated his life. “Do you like your little hand?” And from that point forward Jim shares with us his desire, his drive, and his perseverance to be known for more than just his hand, but for being a baseball pitcher and more importantly for being a good human being.

And that is actually my favorite aspect of this book. Jim being humble, thankful for what he had, for what others didn’t have, for what he could do to help others like him. It’s not necessarily what he wanted, but he did it anyway. Not by trying to make any grand gestures and appearances, but by simply being himself. Greeting the fans, talking to them, answering each and every letter that came his way just to let them know not to give up. His story reveals that he’s more than just a baseball pitcher, but a good person. And I’m sure some folks are reading this thinking “oh it’s an autobiography he could just be making it up,” but that’s not the way it reads at all. Jim isn’t bragging about anything and he doesn’t really try to make any of these aspects stand out, but they do anyway because that's the type person he is.

This book isn’t just for fans of baseball. It’s a book about a humble man who was also a baseball pitcher. It’s filled with humor, insight into the sports world, and humanity. I highly recommend this book and it’s one that folks should read at least once. And then see how they feel about reading it a few more times after that. ( )