This one remains a special baseball memory of mine. Jim Abbott tossed a no-hitter against the Indians on Saturday night, September 4, 1993. A game later, the Yankees headed to Arlington, Texas for a series with the Rangers. My late-brother Bobby and I were in Arlington when they arrived, on one of our annual baseball park tours. We booked a hotel near the ballpark. When they said “close to the park”, they weren’t kidding. Walking into our room, we could see the Yankees taking batting practice, across the way. Later that night, after the game, at the hotel restaurant, we spotted Jim Abbott, fresh off his no-hitter. Abbott had spent the four prior years in So Cal, pitching for the Angels, so we already fans of his before the no-hitter. We sent a beer over to him and raised our glasses, and toasted him and his no-no. A short while later, the waitress brought a couple beers our way, saying that they were from “that guy over there”. “That guy” was Jim Abbott. What a remarkable, inspiring athlete he was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n