The Yankees Send J.T. Snow to the Angels for Jim Abbott

On December 6, 1992, the New York Yankees traded first baseman J.T. Snow and pitchers Russ Springer and Jerry Nielsen to the California Angels for pitcher Jim Abbott. The deal brought one of baseball's most compelling figures to the Bronx and gave the Yankees a left-handed starter with an extraordinary personal story.

Abbott had been born without a right hand and learned to pitch, field, and bat using an intricate glove-switching technique. He skipped the minor leagues entirely after starring at the University of Michigan, where he won the Sullivan Award as the nation's top amateur athlete in 1987. He went straight to the Angels' rotation in 1989 and won 12 games as a rookie.

By 1992, Abbott's record had slipped to 7-15 with a 2.77 ERA, a casualty of poor run support on a weak California team. The Yankees saw a talented arm available at a discount and made the move.

Abbott rewarded them on September 4, 1993, with one of the most memorable pitching performances in Yankees history. He threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium, walking five and striking out three in a 4-0 victory. The achievement stood as the signature moment of his career and one of the most celebrated individual games of the 1990s.

His overall 1993 numbers were modest, 11-14 with a 4.37 ERA, on a Yankees team that finished second in the AL East. Abbott spent two seasons in New York before returning to the Angels, then bounced between several organizations before retiring in 1999.

Snow, the prospect the Yankees gave up, went on to win six Gold Gloves at first base for the Giants.