Imperfect
An Improbable Life
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Narrated by:
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Jim Abbott
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By:
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Jim Abbott
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Tim Brown
About this listen
On an overcast September day in 1993, Jim Abbott took the mound at Yankee Stadium and threw one of the most dramatic no-hitters in major-league history. The game was the crowning achievement in an unlikely success story, unseen in the annals of professional sports. In Imperfect, the one-time big league ace retraces his remarkable journey.
Born without a right hand, Jim Abbott as a boy dreamed of being a great athlete. Raised in Flint, Michigan, by parents who saw in his condition not a disability but an extraordinary opportunity, Jim became a two-sport standout in high school, then an ace pitcher for the University of Michigan. But his journey was only beginning.
As a 19-year-old, Jim beat the vaunted Cuban National Team. By 21, he’d won the gold medal game at the 1988 Olympics and - without spending a day in the minor leagues - cracked the starting rotation of the California Angels. In 1991, he would finish third in the voting for the Cy Young Award. Two years later, he would don Yankee pinstripes and deliver a one-of-a-kind no-hitter.
It wouldn’t always be so good. After a season full of difficult losses - some of them by football scores - Jim was released, cut off from the game he loved. Unable to say good-bye so soon, Jim tried to come back, pushing himself to the limit - and through one of the loneliest experiences an athlete can have.
But always, even then, there were children and their parents waiting for him outside the clubhouse doors, many of them with disabilities like his, seeking consolation and advice. These obligations became Jim’s greatest honor.
In this honest and insightful memoir, Jim Abbott reveals the insecurities of a life spent as the different one, how he habitually hid his disability in his right front pocket, and why he chose an occupation in which the uniform provided no front pockets. With a riveting pitch-by-pitch account of his no-hitter providing the ideal frame for his story, this unique athlete offers readers an extraordinary and unforgettable memoir.
©2012 Jim Abbott, Tim Brown (P)2012 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Pete Rose played baseball with a singular and headfirst abandon that endeared him to fans and peers, even as it riled others--a figure at once magnetic, beloved and polarizing. Rose has more base hits than anyone in history, yet he is not in the Hall of Fame. Twenty-five years ago he was banished from baseball for gambling, then ruled ineligible for Cooperstown; today, the question "Does Pete Rose belong in the Hall of Fame?" has evolved into perhaps the most provocative in sports, a layered, slippery and ever-relevant moral conundrum.
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Good book, not so good production.
- By david d. on 05-01-14
By: Kostya Kennedy
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The Last Folk Hero
- The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson
- By: Jeff Pearlman
- Narrated by: JD Jackson
- Length: 22 hrs
- Unabridged
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From the mid-1980s into the early 1990s, the greatest athlete of all time streaked across American sports and popular culture. Stadiums struggled to contain him. Clocks failed to capture his speed. His strength was legendary. His power unmatched. Video game makers turned him into an invincible character—and they were dead-on. He climbed (and walked across) walls, splintered baseball bats over his knee, turned oncoming tacklers into ground meat.
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If you are a sports fan and over 35 years old, you have to listen/read this. Awesome!
- By betty sammons on 06-29-23
By: Jeff Pearlman
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Bottom of the 33rd
- Hope and Redemption in Baseball's Longest Game
- By: Dan Barry
- Narrated by: Dan Barry
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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On April 18, 1981, a ball game sprang eternal. What began as a modestly attended minor-league game between the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings became not only the longest ever played in baseball history, but something else entirely. The first pitch was thrown after dusk on Holy Saturday, and for the next eight hours the night seemed to suspend its participants between their collective pasts and futures, between their collective sorrows and joys....
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I love baseball
- By Sher from Provo on 04-08-13
By: Dan Barry
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The Chicken Runs at Midnight
- A Daughter’s Message from Heaven That Changed a Father’s Heart and Won a World Series
- By: Tom Friend, Tim Kurkjian - foreword
- Narrated by: Ben Holland - foreword, Mark Schlicher
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Weaving baseball history with personal memoir, this book is one that will make you thrill to victory, believe in hope, stand up to cheer for what is good in peoples' lives. It's a powerful story of redemption and faith that reminds us that God can work in our lives even when we think it's too late to change - and sometimes he sends us signs from heaven if we only have eyes to see.
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not really a sport's fan
- By virginia loranger on 09-24-20
By: Tom Friend, and others
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The Last Boy
- Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood
- By: Jane Leavy
- Narrated by: Jane Leavy, John Bedford Lloyd
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Drawing on more than 500 interviews with friends and family, teammates, and opponents, she delivers the definitive account of Mantle's life, mining the mythology of The Mick for the true story of a luminous and illustrious talent with an achingly damaged soul.
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The Man Behind the Myth
- By Ray on 11-12-10
By: Jane Leavy
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Long Shot
- By: Mike Piazza, Lonnie Wheeler
- Narrated by: Holter Graham, Mike Piazza
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Mike Piazza was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 62nd round of the 1988 baseball draft as a "courtesy pick". The Dodgers never expected him to play for them - or anyone else. Mike had other ideas. Overcoming his detractors, he became the National League Rookie of the Year in 1993, broke the record for season batting average by a catcher, holds the record for career home runs at his position, and was selected as an All Star 12 times. Mike was groomed for baseball success by his ambitious, self-made father in Pennsylvania, a classic father-son American-dream story.
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I only thought i knew the Mike Piazza story
- By James on 03-24-13
By: Mike Piazza, and others
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108 Stitches
- Loose Threads, Ripping Yarns, and the Darndest Characters from My Time in the Game
- By: Ron Darling, Daniel Paisner - contributor
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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This is New York Times bestselling author and Emmy-nominated broadcaster Ron Darling's 108 baseball anecdotes that connect America’s game to the men who played it. Darling has played with or reported on just about everybody who has put on a uniform since 1983, and they in turn have played with or reported on just about everybody who put on a uniform in a previous generation. Like the 108 stitches on a baseball, Darling's experiences are interwoven with every athlete who has ever played, every coach or manager, and every fan.
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Meh
- By Amazon Customer on 04-13-19
By: Ron Darling, and others
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The Last Innocents
- The Collision of the Turbulent Sixties and the Los Angeles Dodgers
- By: Michael Leahy
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 15 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Legendary Dodgers Maury Wills, Sandy Koufax, Wes Parker, Jeff Torborg, Dick Tracewski, and Tommy Davis encapsulated 1960s America: white and black, Jewish and Christian, wealthy and working class, pro-Vietnam and anti-war, golden boy and seasoned veteran. The Last Innocents is a thoughtful, technicolor portrait of these seven players - friends, mentors, confidants, rivals, and allies - and their storied team that offers an intriguing look at a sport and a nation in transition.
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Reliving my youth
- By PJ on 05-24-17
By: Michael Leahy
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The Last Best League, 10th Anniversary Edition
- One Summer, One Season, One Dream
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Every summer, in ten small towns across Cape Cod, the finest college baseball players in the country gather in hopes of making it to "The Show." The hopes are justifiably high: The Cape Cod Baseball League is the best amateur league in the world, producing one out of every six major league players. Over the last decade, baseball's hard truths became evident for the Chatham stars who went on to play professionally, and the final chapter of their story can now be written.
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Jim Collins: Great American Storyteller
- By M. Leavell on 07-01-14
By: Jim Collins
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The Captain
- The Journey of Derek Jeter
- By: Ian O'Connor
- Narrated by: Nick Pollifrone
- Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Every spring, Little Leaguers across the country mimic his stance and squabble over the right to wear his number, 2, the next number to be retired by the world’s most famous ball team. Derek Jeter is their hero. He walks in the footsteps of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantle, and someday his shadow will loom just as large. Yet he has never been the best player in baseball. In fact, he hasn’t always been the best player on his team. But his intangible grace and Jordanesque ability to play big in the biggest of postseason moments make him the face of the modern Yankee dynasty, and of America’s game.
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Great book, terrible narrator.
- By Butter on 05-09-14
By: Ian O'Connor
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The Boys of Summer
- The Classic Narrative of Growing Up Within Shouting Distance of Ebbets Field, Covering the Jackie Robinson Dodgers, and What's Happened to Everybody Since
- By: Roger Kahn
- Narrated by: Phil Gigante
- Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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This is a story about young men who learned to play baseball during the 1930s and 1940s, and then went on to play for one of the most exciting major-league ball clubs ever fielded, the team that broke the color barrier with Jackie Robinson. It is a story by and about a sportswriter who grew up near Ebbets Field, and who had the good fortune in the 1950s to cover the Dodgers for the Herald Tribune. This is the story about what happened to the team when their glory days were behind them.
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Classic book!
- By Christopher Arthur on 11-19-17
By: Roger Kahn
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The Chicago Cubs
- Story of a Curse
- By: Rich Cohen
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper
- Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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For Rich Cohen and millions of other fans, the Chicago Cubs have always been more than a team: they've been the protagonists of a King Arthur epic, in search of the Holy Grail that is winning the World Series. A chronicle of the last few miraculous seasons as experienced through the prism of Cubs history, The Chicago Cubs tracks the famous curse, which was placed on the team in 1945 by the infamous owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, who was ejected from Wrigley Field when he tried to bring his goat into the grandstand for the fifth game of the World Series.
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just listen and it all happens again
- By Z. Kuhn on 10-28-17
By: Rich Cohen
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Opening Day
- The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season
- By: Jonathan Eig
- Narrated by: Richard Allen
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Drawing on interviews with surviving players, sportswriters, and eyewitnesses, as well as newly discovered material from archives around the country, Jonathan Eig presents a fresh portrait of a ferocious competitor who embodied integration's promise and helped launch the modern civil-rights era. Full of new details and thrilling action, Opening Day brings to life baseball's ultimate story.
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Great book, not so great reading
- By Joe Baseball on 08-30-07
By: Jonathan Eig
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The Keeper
- A Life of Saving Goals and Achieving Them
- By: Ali Benjamin, Tim Howard
- Narrated by: J.D. Jackson
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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In the summer of 2014, Tim Howard became an overnight sensation after more than 10 years as one of America's leading professional soccer players. His record-breaking 15 saves for the United States national team against Belgium in the World Cup electrified a nation that had only recently woken up to the Beautiful Game after decades of hibernation. In this inspiring and candid memoir, the beloved US and Everton goalkeeper finally allows himself to do something that he would never do on the field: He drops his guard.
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Tim Howard Saves more then Goals!
- By Ron on 12-16-14
By: Ali Benjamin, and others
What listeners say about Imperfect
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jonathan Love
- 03-15-17
A Must for Parents of Kids with All Abilities
I listened to this one about five years ago after it was initially published, and wrote a review that was subsequently lost without uploading to audible. Since it's baseball season and several years since, I re-listened to it and enjoyed it even more.
As mentioned in my headline, this book is really about parenting and teaching kids (regardless of ability) to believe in themselves and encourage them to seek after their dreams. I remember my mother telling me about Jim Abbott when he was drafted and headed to spring training as the "one-handed pitcher"; she innately knew, like Jim's parents, the value of teaching kids about adversity and overcoming them. I was quite an impressionable 10 year old, especially with anything about baseball, so hearing about Jim was something special... even if I was an Oakland Athletic's fan.
The book itself reads like the movie, For Love of the Game, as it ostensibly follows the thoughts of Jim Abbott during his no hitter with the Yankees in 1993 as it does with Kevin Costner's character portrayal in the movie; although there is no connection between Abbott's autobiography and the movie. However the book focuses more on Abbott's upbringing and baseball development in spite of his missing hand and is really the point of the book and the reason why every parent, regardless of their child's circumstance, should read this book and learn the empowering lessons of both Jim and his parents.
The anecdotes around his college baseball and Olympic career were a real treat, but so was the overarching story of his no hitter. I normally listen at 3x speed and has no issues with the narration. I also really enjoyed Jim Abbott as the narrator.
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- UncleHammy
- 07-18-12
Great story!
What made the experience of listening to Imperfect the most enjoyable?
The author read the book himself. It gave the book a more peronal feel.
What aspect of Jim Abbott’s performance would you have changed?
Not being a professional reader Jim Abbott's performace was little more than simply reading the book. Having said that, being his personal story Abbott's reading the story make is seem much more personal and emotional.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Personal an inspirational
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- Donald C Hamlin II
- 06-23-15
Enjoyable
I liked hearing the background and what I believe is the honesty of his story.
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- David
- 05-04-12
Honest and Entertaining
If you could sum up Imperfect in three words, what would they be?
Honest, Interesting, Entertaining
What other book might you compare Imperfect to and why?
It might be a stretch, but it reminded me a little of Paper Lion. I am sure the sports theme had a lot to do with it but one thing I really like about both is the frank, unassuming nature that was used to tell each of the stories.
What about Jim Abbott’s performance did you like?
I was impressed that Abbott read the story himself and I though it added to the entertainment value knowing it was his story.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
No especially but a couple parts made me laugh out loud.
Any additional comments?
I bought this book because Jim has always been a sentimental favorite of mine which is probably not a reason he would of approve of for buying his book, but none the less, that is what first caught my eye. However once I got started the book is well written and interesting enought to stand on its own.
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- James
- 05-21-19
Amazing story!!
Hearing the story of this guy, I felt like I was really there not just the baseball parts but through out the whole story it was AMAZING!!
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- Brady
- 05-27-14
For Love of the Game - Part II
If you ever saw the movie "For Love of the Game" with Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston, this book has a similar format. Jim Abbott recounts his life growing up playing baseball and having just one hand in-between while recounting his innings of his no-hitter game he threw against the Indians when he was a Yankees' pitcher. If you like baseball, you will enjoy this book. The title sums it up. It's a great read and inspirational.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Thomas
- 09-19-13
Good book about baseball, life and resilience
What did you love best about Imperfect?
Actually I liked the fact that Jim read the book. He was a very good narrator and because of that I felt more connected to his story.
What other book might you compare Imperfect to and why?
"The Big Bam". I highly recommend this book also because it is about baseball and the life of Babe Ruth. Even though Jim Abbot never achieved the status of Babe Ruth their paths through baseball were similar. Both had highs and lows in their careers, days when things went their way and days when they did not. I think Jim would have done himself some good to have read this book when he was younger as he might not have been so hard on himself when he got older.
Have you listened to any of Jim Abbott’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No, but I think he did a wonderful job at narrating and I would like to see him narrate more.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
"1.5"
Only because I thought that was a funny endearing nickname he was given on one of is teams.
Any additional comments?
Good Book. Hope Jim narrates more.
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- Donald
- 02-07-14
Great Listen, Great Person, Great Story
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, I would recommend to a friend. It is interesting to hear the story in Jim's own words.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Imperfect?
Going to his daughter's school to speak to young children.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Yes, numerous moments. The way people treated him and the way that he affected the lives of others (mostly youngsters).
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- Mike Teeley
- 06-24-12
A tribute to personal commitment
What did you love best about Imperfect?
Abbott's inning by inning journey to a major league baseball no hitter frames the story of a remarkable athlete and person. His personal dedication to a normal, one-handed, life makes an easy and very interesting story of an individual's development against very challenging barriers that would have stopped a lesser person and their family.Jim Abbott's story is less about baseball than the will of a family and that family's impact on a child. Jim's family is a model for other parents faced with a child not seen as "whole" by others in that child's environment. Jim Abbott, as the narrator, adds a special touch to the book because you can feel the depth of the pain and the height of the successes he experiences as a child and an athlete who learns to "love his hand". His voice conveys so much more than words as he discusses the many challenges of competition.For those of us who watched his success at Michigan, The Olympics and in professional baseball we now have a new level of appreciation for a truly remarkable person who, by the way had only one hand, This is a book for every parent, baseball fan, Michigan Alum and child who feels less than perfect.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Jim Abbott as the one person who really understands.
What does Jim Abbott bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Te emotions of having lived the book.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Perfect!
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- Felipe Escarra
- 03-18-14
Great Read.
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Great story. Very easy to follow. Jim did a phenomenal job narrating the book.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Jim Abbott.
What does Jim Abbott bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
His emotional tone. Very well spoken and deliberate.
Any additional comments?
Great story. A definite must read.
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