New York Yankees Jim Abbott, pitching vs Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium. (Photo by John Iacono /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott spent his entire life trying to forge an identity that went beyond being born with a hand missing.
As a boy, he threw himself into athletics as a means of fitting in with the other kids at school. Although Abbott was good at various sports, it was baseball where he shone most, especially on the mound as a pitcher. He taught himself a technique where he balanced his glove on the nub of his missing right hand, and after throwing a pitch, would seamlessly slide the glove over and slip his left hand into it.
As Abbott progressed throughout his baseball career until finally getting drafted into the major leagues by the California Angels, he preferred that people focus on his baseball ability and not simply label him as “the inspirational one-handed pitcher.” However, after getting traded to the New York Yankees and having the first long slump of his career, Abbott’s attitude of “just judge me for my performance” somewhat flipped, and he was not happy with himself when he realized it.
During that season, Jack Curry, a New York beat writer, graded all the Yankees players and reported that Abbott was underachieving. On the GameChange podcast show, Thru the Tunnel, Abbott explained his reaction. “I took it to heart. I was like, ‘Whoa, you can say that I haven’t pitched well, but I don’t know how you can say I’m an underachiever.’”
Abbott had spent an entire life being labeled as an overachiever, so he took umbrage with the writer’s story and confronted him about it. Curry’s response stopped Abbott in his tracks. “He said, ‘Well, I don’t think of you as a one-handed pitcher. I think of you as a quality left-handed pitcher, and to this point, you have underachieved that talent.’ And he was exactly right.”
Abbott was disappointed for allowing himself to slip into the narrative of “the inspirational one-handed pitcher,” the label he long tried to avoid. He explained, “In that moment, in some small way, I had almost looked for the excuse of having one hand.” He added, “That was the first time I was confronted with my willingness to go to that excuse, and I was really disappointed in myself.”
We all have challenges in our lives that can prevent us from doing our very bes,t and it can be very easy to slip into the habit of excusing ourselves when conditions are not optimum. Abbott was born with one hand missing, obviously not an optimum body to become a professional pitcher. However, his dogged determination not to let that be his excuse is what propelled him to become a major leaguer.
So, how can you train your mindset to avoid slipping into excuse mode?
- Be self-aware: It is inevitable that sometimes things do happen that make it impossible for us to perform at our best. It is ok to give yourself grace in those situations. However, if you notice a trend of making excuses start to develop, take a step back and ask yourself, “Have I gotten into the habit of seeking excuses for my shortcomings?”
- Stop focusing on the problem and start focusing on the solution: Abbott’s solution for switching his glove from his nub hand to his throwing hand is a perfect example of seeking a solution instead of focusing on the problem.
- Reframe failure: When you do have setbacks, start to view them as learning steps toward your success.
- Have gratitude for the gifts you do have: Abbott may have been born with a hand missing, but he was a good athlete, and his dad taught him to focus on that. Abbott recalled him saying, “More has been given than has been taken away.” Abbott added, “We’re more responsible to the talent we’ve been given than any setback. Just keep pushing to hold yourself accountable to that.”
