My Favorite Baseball Player Pt. 2

Since I was motivated by a Retweet of my "My Favorite Player" post by an editor of a respected baseball publication, I decided to give it another go.  In fact, I may give it several go's because, well, there's only so many posts I can write complaining about sac bunting or naming awful players who won big games.  So, my second favorite baseball player of all-time is Jim Abbott.  Here's why:
Several moments in my sports watching/casting/writing life have made me think, "if there was ever a moment to cry with tears of joy like a father at his daughter's wedding, now would be it."  One of those moments involved then New York Yankees pitcher Jim Abbott. 
Before I get there, it must be pointed out that Abbott has one arm. He was like sharp shooter who has one eye or a long jumper with half a foot. It seemed a physical enigma.  How can he field?  Why don't they just bunt?  Simple (sort of): he put the glove on his nub then quickly slipped his hand in post-delivery.  Incredible as it is to even field the ball, Abbott was an above average fielder.  During his career, his range factor per nine innings was higher than the league average, as was his fielding percentage.  In 254 starts and 381 total chances, he made nine errors and turned 16 double plays.
Abbott even managed two hits in 21 at-bats during his one season with Milwaukee. He also drove in three runs.*
Of Abbott's accomplishments, which include being elected into the College Baseball Hall of Fame and finishing third in the Cy Young Award voting in 1991, his most notable came on Sept. 4, 1993 against the Cleveland Indians. Abbott threw a no-hitter.
I'm not old enough to say I remember every pitch.  I'm not old enough to remember anything about Cleveland's starting right fielder that day Candy Maldonado, but I do remember being in absolute awe of Jim Abbott.  There's nothing like the tension of the last pitch of a no-hitter, but No. 119 of the day for Abbott was a little different.  It seemed like there was more on the line.  That everything Jim had ever come up against was about to be knocked down with one pitch. I don't know that I've cheered as hard to someone to succeed since pitch No. 119 or that I ever will cheer harder than I did for Jim Abbott. I don't recall the celebration, probably because I was too busy celebrating myself.  Celebrating for a man that didn't allow his disadvantage to be one, and celebrating the idea that anything is possible.*

*Jim Abbott bunted three times
**I don't care if that was cliche, it's true