NEW YORK – As the New York Yankees struggle with inconsistent performance and media pressure, a story from the past has become a ray of hope amid the storm.
Jim Abbott – the Yankees’ historic no-hitter despite being born without a right hand – is the central figure in ESPN’s latest documentary, “Southpaw: The Life and Legacy of Jim Abbott.”
The film will air at 9 p.m. Sunday, July 13 on ESPN, and later on ESPN+.
Born in 1967 in Flint, Michigan, Jim Abbott came to baseball as an unlikely prospect: without a right hand, he still became a top MLB pitcher, playing for the Angels, Yankees and White Sox.
The pinnacle came on September 4, 1993, when he donned a Yankees jersey and threw a legendary no-hitter at Yankee Stadium – one of the most inspiring moments in American sports history.
“I was overwhelmed,” Abbott says in the film, watching old footage alongside veteran journalist Jeremy Schaap.
The film not only recounts the brilliant feat, but also delves into the mental anguish, social pressure and self-doubt that Abbott experienced.
“I didn’t want to be a symbol. I just wanted to be seen as a player like everyone else,” he says.
It was a time of internal turmoil for the Yankees, players at odds with the coaching staff, and declining performance – but Abbott quietly pushed forward, pitch by pitch.
The film stars Cal Ripken Jr., George Brett, Don Mattingly, and former teammates — recounting the moments when they believed “Jim Abbott didn’t throw with his hands, he threw with his heart.”
The scene of Abbott returning to Yankee Stadium after 30 years, walking onto the field to a silent applause from backstage, is one of the most moving climaxes.
“Southpaw” is not just a baseball movie — it’s a story about overcoming limitations, about resilience, and about how one disabled athlete changed the very definition of the word “impossible.”
In an age of highlights and data, Jim Abbott reminds us:
“Baseball is more than a sport. It’s a life lesson.”