Reporter Jeremy Schaap (upper left) interviews Jim Abbott in Yankee Stadium. (Mike Farrell/ESPN)
Abbott has the pitcher's mound rubber from Yankee Stadium in his home trophy collection. (ESPN)
In April 2012, ESPN MLB analyst Doug Glanville (L) spoke with Abbott just before a wiffle ball game with employees on ESPN's Bristol campus. (Rich Arden/ESPN)
The production crew preps Abbott for the interview in Yankee Stadium. (Mike Farrell/ESPN)On Sunday, a new, 90-minute E60 examines the career and impact of former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott, who was born without a right hand but threw a no-hitter for the New York Yankees in 1993.
“Southpaw – The Life and Legacy of Jim Abbott,” reported by Jeremy Schaap, debuts Sunday, July 13, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN, streaming afterward on ESPN+.
Front Row spoke with director Mike Farrell.
Why did you want to make this?
I’ve always felt Jim’s no-hitter in 1993 was one of the most remarkable achievements in sports history. The initial thinking was to showcase that incredible moment and tell Jim’s life story around it. What I didn’t know was the very real, very widespread impact that game, and Jim’s career, had on limb different and disabled people around the world. That turned out to be the true heart of our story.
You directed this project but also edited it; what is that process like?
It is a blessing and a curse. What’s great is that you can efficiently execute your vision and experiment more freely.
The downside is that it can be a lonely experience, and I really miss the collaborative dynamic of working with another person. Especially on long projects like this, you can get caught in a tornado of second guessing that no one is there to stop.
You can convince yourself that something you initially thought was great is now garbage. In those moments, I really leaned on our Sr. Managing Producers Mike Johns and John Minton, who were incredible teammates on this project.
How were you able to secure Yankee Stadium for a night of filming with Abbott?
In the simplest terms, we asked, and the Yankees said yes, which was awesome. I think the Yankee organization has such tremendous respect for Jim and that helped us. He is so revered and well liked in the baseball community that people are willing to go out of their way to cooperate when Jim Abbott is involved.
How did you go about gaining his trust for this?
Jim was initially reluctant to participate in the project. His story has been told many times in many ways over the years, and he wondered what this treatment would offer that was unique.
Jeremy and I felt strongly we could give his story the highest quality treatment, and at the same time reach a whole new audience that might be completely unaware of his life and career. Ultimately, I think we gained his trust through our shared desire to make a positive impact with this story.
