'Southpaw': Exclusive Screening and Talk Back Event with Groundbreaking Former Major League Baseball Pitcher Jim Abbott

Event Details

ESPN Films and The Westport Library present a very special screening of the acclaimed E60 documentary, Southpaw: The Life and Legacy of Jim Abbott, about the life and career of the legendary pitcher.

Produced by Westport's own Jeremy Schaap, Southpaw tells the incredible story of Abbott, who was born without a right hand and rose to Major League Baseball stardom, culminating with a no-hitter he threw as a member of the New York Yankees.

After the film, Abbott will be on our stage and in conversation with Schaap, ESPN Senior Feature Producer Mike Farrell, and Westporter Dave Briggs for a compelling conversation about life, overcoming adversity, and baseball.

Doors open at 6:30 pm, with the program starting at 7 pm. Pre-signed books will be available for purchase.

Why You Should Come

There has never been a story in sports history quite like Abbott’s. Born in Flint, Michigan, in 1967 without a right hand, Abbott rose to unexpected prominence as a baseball pitcher, first in his hometown, then at the University of Michigan, where he was named America’s best amateur athlete in 1987. After pitching the gold medal winning game for the U.S. at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Abbott was drafted by the California Angels in the first round. After several seasons with the Angels, he was traded to the Yankees.

Throughout Abbott’s rise to the highest levels of baseball, he was, at times, a reluctant role model, struggling with the pressure and exclusion that came with being “an inspiration.” Abbott’s unprecedented and transformational career earned him international fame, and his story affected thousands of disabled and limb-different children across the globe.

Now, 30 years removed from the height of his popularity, Abbott’s impact is still felt both on and off the field of play. Southpaw is an unforgettable story about ingenuity, identity and what it’s like to be different.

About the Film

The incredible story of Jim Abbott, an unprecedented figure in sports history who was born without a right hand but pitched a no-hitter for the New York Yankees, will be told in a new edition of ESPN E60. The 90-minute program celebrates Abbott’s life and career as well as his lasting legacy for people living with disabilities, who, three decades later, continue to fight for equal treatment and acceptance.

E60 weaves the story of Abbott’s life and career around a recounting of the no-hitter, which occurred on September 4, 1993, when the Yankees hosted Cleveland at Yankee Stadium.

For Southpaw, E60 secured access to the current Yankee Stadium for a special night of filming with Abbott where he was interviewed on the field and watched and commented on the broadcast of his no-hitter with Schaap on the stadium’s big screen.

In addition to Abbott himself and members of his family, more than 40 people were interviewed for Southpaw, including Hall of Famers from baseball and some current limb-different athletes.

Interviewees include:

• Kathy Abbott – Jim Abbott’s mother
• Chad Abbott – Jim Abbott’s brother
• Cal Ripken, Jr. – Baltimore Orioles SS, Baseball Hall of Fame (2007)
• George Brett – Kansas City Royals 3B, Baseball Hall of Fame (1999)
• Bert Blyleven – Jim Abbott’s California Angels teammate, Baseball Hall of Fame (2011)

Participants in the no-hitter:

• Matt Nokes – Yankees C
• Don Mattingly – Yankees 1B
• Wade Boggs – Yankees 3B, Baseball Hall of Fame (2005)
• Buck Showalter – Yankees manager
• Jim Thome – Cleveland 3B, Baseball Hall of Fame (2018)
• Carlos Baerga – Cleveland 2B

Also interviewed in Southpaw:

• Shaquem Griffin – first NFL player with one hand
• Nick Newell – first MMA champion with one hand
• Carson Pickett – first UNWNT soccer player with one hand
• Jack Curry – former New York Times reporter
• Dr. Nina Lightdale – surgeon and author of The Hand Book
• Tim Brown – co-author with Jim Abbott of Imperfect: An Improbable Life
• Kim Nielsen – author of A Disability History of the United States
• Bob Fontaine, Jr. – former director of scouting, California Angels
• Tim Mead – former California Angels media relations
• Duncan Beagle – Flint (MI) historian
• Tim Beaubien – Jim Abbott’s catcher at Flint Central High School
• Joe Eufinger – Jim Abbott’s football coach at Flint Central High School
• Mark Conover – childhood friend of Jim Abbott
• Tracy Holgate – recipient of life-changing letter from Jim Abbott at age 8