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Angels: On this Date in 1991, Jim Abbott’s first hit is a triple

Jim Abbott remains one of the most remarkable stories in sports history. Born without a right hand, the man become a major league pitcher. The Flint, Michigan native spent ten seasons in the majors, including a total of six with the Angels. Having pitched most of his career in the American League, he didn’t find the batter’s box often (remember, this was pre-Interleague play), so with lack of experience and only one working hand, he made headlines by smacking a 400-foot triple off San Francisco Giants pitcher Rick Reuschel for his first major league hit, albeit during Spring Training, twenty-nine years ago today.