JIM Abbott has gone down in Yankees folklore for his historic no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians.
The former MLB pitcher, 55, achieved the rare feat despite only having one hand.
Abbott was born without a right hand but refused to give up on his baseball dream.
During his youth, he perfected a pitching technique that would see him rest his glove on the end of his right forearm.
After releasing the ball, he would quickly switch his hand into the glove, which gave him the same fielding ability as a player with both hands.
Speaking to CNN, Abbott said: “I loved all sports. I loved football, basketball and baseball. But I always seemed to have a talent for throwing things.
“There was never a plan of playing in the major leagues; it was sort of a dream. I lived for it.
“I certainly ran into friction but I felt that anything was possible.
“I was surrounded by parents and coaches and teachers and mentors, and I didn’t face resistance. I faced encouragement and optimism.”
Abbott starred for the Michigan Wolverines in college after he had initially been drafted in the 36th round of the MLB Draft.
After spending three years with the Wolverines, he would enter the draft again in 1988 where he was chosen in the eighth round by the California Angels.
Abbott spent three seasons with Los Angeles before moving across the country to join the Yankees bullpen.
And it was there that he would throw the historic no-hitter for which he became infamous among Pinstripe fans.
Abbott achieved the feat on September 4, 1993, and described it as the greatest moment in his career.
He continued: “I remember looking up at the scoreboard in the fifth inning and saw we were winning by four to nothing.
“It wasn’t a perfect game, but I noticed that they didn’t have any hits.
“Those final few innings are nerve-wracking; you feel it in your heart, your knees and in your breathing.”
Abbot’s achievement made him a local legend, despite staying with the Yankees for only one season.
He explained: “When that final out comes, it’s just like this ecstatic release. You feel like you’re plugged into a wall. It feels electric.
“I was blown away by the reaction. I was signing autographs, taxi cabs were honking, and people were running across the street,
“I’ve been so heartened that people have remembered that game.”
Abbott would go on to play for the Chicago White Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers before retiring in 1999.
He recorded 888 career strikeouts in the majors, with an ERA of 4.25 and a win-loss record of 87–108.
In 2009, he was inducted into the College Hall of Fame with the University of Michigan retiring his No. 31 jersey.
Abbott now works as a motivational speaker and hopes to inspire others to pursue their dreams.
He said: “I just lost some velocity, like a lot of people do.
“I played for 10 years, I would have liked to play for more, but I loved every second of it.
“I absolutely think it’s possible [for another one-handed player to play in the MLB]. There’s just too many talented kids out there.
“There’s a world of possibilities for people born with challenges, that require them to do things differently, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do them just as well.”