Former MLB, U.S. Olympic pitcher Jim Abbott to speak at SU Sport Management Club’s 4th annual Charity Sports Auction

Former MLB, U.S. Olympic pitcher Jim Abbott to speak at SU Sport Management Club’s 4th annual Charity Sports AuctionMarch 10, 2009Michele Barrettmibarret@syr.edu

Jim Abbott, former MLB and U.S. Olympic pitcher, will be the Jreck Subs Distinguished Lecture speaker at the SU Sport Management Club’s Fourth Annual Charity Sports Auction on Thursday, April 2, at 6:30 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. Proceeds will benefit the Golisano Children’s Hospital at Upstate and the Sport Management Club.

Born without a right hand, Abbott made his major league debut in 1989 with the California Angels and spent 10 seasons pitching in the major leagues. A majority of his career was spent with the Angels; he also played for the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers. He retired in 1999 with Milwaukee.

The highlight of the Michigan native’s amateur career was his participation on the 1988 U.S. Olympic team, which won the United States’ first-ever gold medal for baseball. His professional achievements include a career ERA of 4.25 and 87 wins. He posted 18 wins in 1991, when he began back-to-back seasons with an ERA under 3.00. His accomplishments were capped off with a no-hitter for the Yankees in 1993 against the Cleveland Indians. Today, in addition to being a guest pitching instructor for the Angels during spring training, Abbott is a popular speaker who uses motivational sports stories of how he overcame adversity and anecdotes from his career as a professional baseball pitcher. Abbott also works with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) on several initiatives encouraging businesses to hire people with disabilities.

Abbott will be the fourth speaker in the annual Jreck Subs lecture series. Previous speakers include one of the most influential NBA player agents, David Falk (2006); current sportscaster and NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton (2007); and former SU quarterback and Philadelphia Eagles franchise quarterback Donovan McNabb (2008).

The distinguished lecture and charity sports auction are open to the public. Tickets-$10 for adults and $5 for all students and children 18 years of age and younger-are available at the Dome Box Office or by calling 1-888-DOMETIX. Free parking will be available in the lots west of the Carrier Dome. Gates A, B, C and E will open at 5:30 p.m. Abbott will speak at 6:30 p.m., and the silent auction begins at 7:30 p.m.

For more information about the auction, including regular updates of added auction items, visit http://www.sucharitysportsauction.com. More information is also available by contacting the Department of Sport Management at Syracuse University at (315) 443-9816 or sucharitysportsauction@gmail.com.

The SU Sport Management Club is a student-run organization of the Department of Sport Management in the College of Human Ecology. Since its founding in 2005, the club has grown to nearly 100 members and has raised more than $50,000 for local charities such as the Syracuse Boys and Girls Club and the American Diabetes Association of Central New York.